Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, today launched a set of ACCC guidance materials on carbon offsets claims. The launch of new guidelines has been made to deal with concerns about marketers overstating the improvements organisations have made to their company to offset carbon emissions. “There is a growing trend of marketing claims about the ability to ‘neutralise’ the carbon footprint of, for example, cars, flights and households... ...Read more »
Environmentally-friendly menu options have a good chance of improving a restaurant’s bottom line and providing competitive differentiation if marketed aggressively to consumers, according to a recently released report by market research company The NPD Group. The NPD report, entitled, “Greener Menus: Can Environmentally-Conscious Menus Also Green the Bottom Line?” looks at consumer attitudes on environmental issues related to food and dining, and examines the revenue potential... ...Read more »
The H. J. Heinz Company has vowed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2015. The effort is part of Heinz’s sustainability vision as they seek to be a leader in this field. “From using potato peels to generate energy, to reducing the amount and size of our packaging, every day we’re finding new ways to reduce our environmental footprint and improve the efficiency of our company,” said Heinz CEO Bill Johnson. “Everyone in the Heinz community is involved... ...Read more »
A wave of ‘green’ supermarkets is set to hit Australia as supermarkets begin to tackle alarming emission rates. The concept, which follows similar commitments by European supermarkets, primarily revolves around the improvement of refrigeration systems to lower global warming potential of refrigerants. A $2 million Federal Government grant has been provided to the Green Cooling Council (formerly the NRTB), under the Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program, to evaluate the benefits of new technologies... ...Read more »
McDonald’s is attempting to appeal to the growing number of Australian consumers looking for environmentally friendly products. Via their McCafe outlets, McDonald’s are planning to ensure that all the coffee they sell comes from environmentally friendly coffee growing areas. To do this they will need to source almost 500 tonnes of coffee this year from farms in South America which undergo an annual inspection by the Rainforest Alliance, an international not-for-profit conservation... ...Read more »
New food products are being released at record rates but retail sales are not reflecting similar growth. The new product number increases have been led by company responses to changes in consumer preferences, which have dictated an increased health and environmental focus. Confectionery, beverage, yoghurt, cereal and bread products have been among the food sectors which have seen an extensive batch of new products boosted by health supplements. Antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins and minerals... ...Read more »
With the explosion of retail products promoting their environmental credentials, marketers and retailers alike have been put on notice by the ACCC to watch their ‘green’ claims. The announcement by Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Ms Louise Sylvan, comes in the wake of a recent CHOICE investigation which found misleading environmental claims rife in supermarkets around the country. “As companies try to position themselves with green credentials,... ...Read more »
A CHOICE investigation has found an explosion of green claims on product labels that are not supported by evidence, are poorly explained or are irrelevant. The investigation follows rapid growth in products boasting environmentally friendly claims as consumers are increasingly drawn to products they believe will limit their impact on the environment. New products are being created with packaging a key focus of environmentally friendly claims. Chief Executive of CHOICE Peter Kell indicated... ...Read more »