Lidl Belgium has added the 'Eco-Score' label to around a hundred food products, effective 2 August, which will see the discounter share information about the environmental impact of these items.
Initially, the label will feature on certain private-label products such as dairy, tea or coffee.
The initiative has been developed to enable customers to make more sustainable purchases, with approximately 171 Lidl stores adopting the label.
In June, French retailer Carrefour launched a pilot test for a similar eco-labelling system on its products, while fellow Belgian operator Colruyt has also introduced the 'Eco-Score' feature to its Boni Selection range.
Eco-score Label
The Eco-score is an independent method for assessing the sustainability of a product.
It assigns a code to products comprising a colour and a letter, ranging from a dark green 'A' (low impact) to red 'E' (high impact). It is based on several factors, such as certification, origin or packaging, among others.
Commenting on the initiative, Isabelle Colbrandt, spokesperson at Lidl Belgium, said, "Using the Eco-score, our customers can quickly see how sustainable a hundred food products are, based on transparent and reliable information.
"This way, they can choose to make more sustainable purchases. In the future, we also want to optimise the environmental impact of our products based on the criteria of the Eco-score."
Sustainable Discounter
Through this initiative, Lidl Belgium is seeking to become the most sustainable discounter of fresh products in Belgium.
"By 2025, we also want to offer our customers more transparency about the social, environmental and health impact of our products and enable them to make the right choices," Colbrandt added. "An understandable sustainability label such as the Eco-score brings us closer to our target and CSR vision."
In the coming months, the discounter will evaluate the response from customers and shareholders before potentially expanding the initiative.
In July, Lidl Belgium unveiled a number of free sun lotion dispensers at selected locations around the country, to promote summer safety. The group also recently expanded its vegan and vegetarian product offering.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
