Finland's K Group has announced that it is to add a new feature to its K-Ostokset tool that will show customers the carbon footprint of their food purchases.
The K-Ostokset tool is a data-based service that enables customers signed up to its K-Plussa loyalty programme to track the origin of products.
The first version of the carbon footprint calculator will be rolled out before the end of this year, the retailer said.
How It Works
The footprint calculator, which is being developed in collaboration with the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), will be integrated into the K-Ostokset tool.
It will estimate the carbon footprint for 40 of the most popular SKUs sold in K Group’s grocery stores, including milk, bread, beef, and root vegetables, the retailer said.
The assessment of carbon footprint for product groups will be based on previous research and scientific materials collected from data banks and the latest research literature.
'Sustainable Choices'
Senior scientist at Luke, Merja Saarinen, explained, "The calculator will not tell you the carbon footprint of each product, but it does provide information at the product group level that will be useful for people who want to make more sustainable choices from a climate perspective.
"Many companies assess the climate impact of their products, but we do not yet have sufficient comparable and reliable product and brand-specific data on all products," she added.
K-Plussa is a customer loyalty programme offered by K group to its customers in Finland.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
