Eco products summary -...
Transcript of Eco products summary -...
Version 1.3 November 2012
Eco‑Products summaryKingfisher’s definition of eco-products
Net Positive is a new approach to doing business. To succeed, business must do more than minimise its negative impact – it must be designed to have a positive impact on the world.
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Eco‑Products summary
Kingfisher’s Net Positive strategy commits us to a new challenge: to go beyond neutrality, to no longer strive to ‘do less’ but to seek to make a positive contribution to the world’s future. One of the indicators we’ve established for Net Positive relates to bringing eco‑products into the mainstream by increasing the proportion of Group sales from products and services that have eco credentials. This involves developing a range of innovative ‘best in class’ products that support our approach to Innovation, one of the four priorities of the Net Positive strategy.
Given the broad range of products that we sell, we have developed our own criteria and assessment process for identifying suitable eco‑products to ensure we have a consistent approach and the information we report is robust. This document summarises the process used to decide if a product can be classed as a Kingfisher Eco‑Product, including some examples of the eco‑products we offer. This is supported by more detailed technical guidance that is used internally by our Operating Companies.
What is an Eco‑Product?
At Kingfisher our definition of an eco‑product is:
A product that has either a positive or significantly lower impact on the environment during its production, manufacture, use or disposal.
To be included in our range an eco‑product must meet the requirements of at least one of our six categories of sustainable living.
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exa
mp
les
…helps people to
reduce energy consumption in the home.
PV panels
Low energy light bulbs
Save Energy
Save Energy & Water Natural Resources Health & Wellbeing
Healthy Homes
…helps people buy healthier and socially responsible products.
Green cleaning products
VOC CONTENT 0% to 0.29%MINIMAL
VOCs. (Volatile OrganicCompounds) contribute
to atmosphericpollution.
©
Minimal VOC paints
…helps people to grow
a proportion of their own
food.
Seeds
Peat free compost
Grow Your Own
Reuse & Recycle
…helps people
recycle and buy recycled
goods.
Recycled products
Recycling facilities
Conserve Nature
…helps to protect
natural habitats and
wildlife.
Bird boxes
Flowers
Save Water
…helps people to
reduce water consumption in the home.
Mulch
Water butts
For each category we take the product through an endorsement process that has been designed to screen out all but the most sustainable products on the market. An overview of the process that we use is shown below.
Does the product meet Kingfisher’s Minimum Corporate Responsibility and Buying Standards?
To ensure that Kingfisher Eco‑Products are not manufactured at a factory or production site that fails to meet our minimum standards for Corporate Responsibility we regularly monitor a robust set of buying standards and policies that address issues surrounding factory working conditions and sustainable procurement.
Does the product pass Kingfisher’s Eco-Product screening process?
There are some products that cannot be classified as being a Kingfisher Eco‑Product due to their inherent nature or function. The reasons for this vary, but generally these products will have a negative effect on the environment, despite any attempts to reduce their impact, for example a patio heater made from recycled material. To prevent these products and materials from being accredited we have implemented a screening process that prohibits these products from being included in the eco‑product range.
Product is NOT a Kingfisher Eco-Product
NO
Does the product meet Kingfisher’s
minimum Corporate
Responsibility Policies?
Does the product pass Kingfisher’s Eco‑Product
screening process?
Product is a Kingfisher Eco-Product
YES YES YES
NO NONO NO
Is the product amongst the most
sustainable on the market when
compared to the standard mainstream alternatives?
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Kingfisher plc 3 Sheldon Square, Paddington, London W2 6PX
+44 (0)20 7372 8008
www.kingfisher.com/CR
Kingfisher has worked in partnership with sustainability experts BioRegional to develop a stringent approach to the classification of Eco‑Products.
© Kingfisher plc 2012
Is the product amongst the most sustainable on the market when compared to the standard mainstream alternatives?
For each type of product we’ve undertaken benchmarking against comparable products on the market and produced performance standards that products are required to meet. These standards vary between ranges and are designed to ensure that only the most sustainable, ‘best in class’, products are included in our eco‑product range. Best in class products usually enable people to actively reduce their environmental impact compared with doing nothing or have multiple environmentally beneficial attributes. Insulation is a good example of a best in class eco‑product as it helps people to reduce the amount of space heating that they require.
In addition to the best in class range, Kingfisher has also created a range of ‘eco compliance’ products that possess certain eco‑features. Eco compliance products are regular products that once represented best practice but which have become more mainstream over time. While many eco compliant products will have strong environmental characteristics there will usually be other more sustainable alternatives available. A good example would be minimal VOC paint; it is better than the higher VOC alternatives but not as good as natural or recycled paint.
Case study examples
Stage 1:
Corporate Responsibility and Buying Standards
This showerhead meets all of Kingfisher’s relevant sustainability policies and buying standards.
Stage 2:
Kingfisher Eco-Product screening process
Washing facilities are an essential item within the home and this product helps to reduce household water consumption.
Stage 3:
Overall sustainability of product
This product could reduce water consumption by around 30% when compared to similar products on the market – saving the average family of four about 30,000 litres of water each year.
Stage 1:
Corporate Responsibility and Buying Standards
This peat free compost meets all of Kingfisher’s relevant sustainability policies and buying standards.
Stage 2:
Kingfisher Eco-Product screening process
Peat free compost is a growing media with minimal environmental impacts – especially if it is used to grow food or plants that benefit wildlife.
Stage 3:
Overall sustainability of product
This product is an alternative to peat extracted from peat bogs that act as an effective carbon store and provide habitat for a variety of animals including birds, butterflies and dragonflies.about 30,000 litres of water each year.