Tag Archives: energy saving

Low-carbon products: when there will be a mass mass-market demand for them?

As stated in the last CBI report about UK consumers and low-carbon products, three quarters of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions either directly or indirectly attributable to consumer actions. Companies are taking action to drive up standards and setting up pilot initiatives for green products. Energy efficiency and carbon labels and descriptions currently adorn many of our shopping shelves, increasing transparency. But many consumers do remain skeptical about sustainability being a MUST for our future.

The report shows that there is no trade-off between sustainability and profitability but, as we are always stressing in our ECOFFEE communication projects,”(Many business leaders acknowledge that) it is not sufficient to operate in a sustainable way – they also have a responsibility to inform consumers about green choices”. Business cannot boost demand for low-carbon products without the appropriate communication. Let’s take for instance Procter & Gamble’s successful Turn to 30 campaign with Ariel linked the financial benefits to consumers of washing at lower temperatures with the positive environmental impact. This campaign successfully create a link between a product, a consumer personal behaviour and the resulting more sustainable impact on environment.
Once a company has created a demand for its green products, gains arrive very fast.

Philips’ success in energy efficient lighting is an excellent example: the strategic decision to develop the energy efficient lighting side of its business led to successful positioning
at the forefront of innovation.

Retail plays a very important role in raising awareness among consumers and empower them to make greener choices. Tesco for example has worked to highlight the carbon
footprint of its products to help consumers understand the impact of their purchasing decisions. And it worked great.

Now the question is: why there is not such a mass-market demand for green products? It seems that there is a missing link between the consumer and the environmental impact of purchasing a green product versus a not-so green one. When asked about the top three or four factors shaping their choice of purchase, UK consumers top rated one is cost to buy, followed by quality and reliability and brand. The environmental impact is ranked 10 (8%). It seems that there is a disconnection between consumers and the environmental impact of their choices, especially when carbon emissions are concerned. Nearly half (48%) of survey respondents could see the link between low-carbon and helping to tackle climate change, whereas less than a third (30%) identified the link between climate change and energy efficiency.

Labelling plays an important role in raising consumers’ awareness and A-G labelling has been a particular success, being well recognised among those aged between 35-64 (76%) and those earning over £25,000 a year (83%). It is no coincidence that products where the energy efficiency story is most developed for consumers tend to be those where the A-G label is displayed, such as fridges.

To answer to the question “When there will be a mass-market demand for green products?”, it all relies on clear communication and on educating consumers about the impact of their shopping and daily habits on the environment.

McDonald’s opens its first green restaurant in Italy

Ho.Re.Ca and sustainability: in Italy there are still people who do not like to match these two words or that asserts that “the time has not yet come,” and this is the great challenge we are – successfully – addressing  with ECOFFEE. We strongly believe that the Italian consumer is able to perceive and reward the added value of sustainable products and services, and the news that McDonald’s has just opened its first green restaurant in Italy, in Lainate (near Milan) do prove that we are not wrong. This green McDonald’s was designed to be completely self-sufficient in energy: thanks to solar, wind and biomass. The project costed € 5 million, 20% more than a traditional restaurant but at the end of the year it will certainly pay off in terms of increased brand reputation, reduced  environmental and social impact, not to add the reduced costs due to the energy saving architecture and technological process. 
At the end of 2011, the results coming from the adoption of these policies will be evaluated by an Italian green environmental consulting company ECOFFEE has already established a business connection with a while ago.  Meanwhile, McDonald’s aims to achieve the European certification EN 16001, which will help the company to organize systems and processes aimed at improving the economic benefits of energy efficiency and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

But let’s talk about the “McGreen” in Lainate – a project whose details are available at the McDonald’s site www.persapernedipiu.info Currently, the restaurant is able to produce up to 90% of the energy needed, but within three months it is said to reach 100%, thanks to a pioneering trigeneration plant that use the exhausted cooking oil as fuel. The building structure is earthquake resistant, and thanks to the “Einstein”system  customers are always updated with real-time data regarding energy consumption and savings thanks to a monitor positioned at the entrance of the restaurant. Particular attention was paid to the restaurant supply chain and to the ingredients used in the menu, where customers can also find “local” ingredients belonging to the traditional Italian cuisine, like the Alto Adige IGP Speck, Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP, IGP oranges from Sicily, to name a few. The coffee served will not be the one of the Italian companies Illy or Lavazza, which are known for their sustainable products, but the one certified by the international organization Rainforest Alliance.

On the outside of the building, ecoattivo asphalt – when struck by sunlight it triggers a  reduction of pollutants- energy-efficient refrigerators and incentives for the customers using electric cars.
“Lainate is not a departure or arrival point, but a stage of a journey that McDonald’s sets out a while ago. For the Expo 2015 we will be able to implement a reduction of 15% of our CO2 emissions, an increase of 15% of our energy savings and another 15% increase of the energy we use from renewable sources. In 2020, these percentages will rise up to 20% allowing us to meet the Kyoto Protocol parameters”said Roberto Masi, McDonald’s Italy CEO.

In fact, McDonald’s Italy is not new to these kind of sustainable initiatives. As early as 2010, in fact, it adopted new standards for construction and renovation, with the use of building materials with high environmental sustainability, solar panels, heat pumps, roof ventilation and, where it was possible, photovoltaic. But not only that: technologically advanced machinery, power management systems, occupancy sensors, insulation and LED lighting fixtures to reduce air pollutant emissions. All new openings have already been planned to include some or all of these technologies. The 2012 politics has already been planned aiming at using certified renewable energy in all McDonald’s restaurants, building a fleet of delivery vehicles composed by 100% biodiesel  and a company’s car pool with low dioxide carbon emissions . (Source: MarketingOggi)

EuroShop: green is “hot”

Back from the EuroShop, with lots of a ideas and a big certainty: green is “hot”. From Green IT to green supermarkets and green products: retail is now aware of the trend toward sustainable economic management. Obviously, the market is still immature and retailers have lot to learn about what can be really sustainable in the long term – and this is where professional services like the ones we offer can be of a great help.

As stated on the EuroShop website, earlier this year, German Federal Minister of Economics Rainer Brüderle visited the “Klimamarkt” (“climate market”) by Tengelmann, across from the Tengelmann headquarters in Mülheim an der Ruhr. The politician of the FDP party said: “We need pilot projects like this to gather experience on how climate protection and economic efficiency can be reconciled.” Tengelmann deems the “Klimamarkt”, which already opened in December of 2008, to be “Germany‘s first CO2-free supermarket.”

The project admittedly does not stand up to an intense cost effectiveness analysis. “Demolition and new construction would have been cheaper”, Tengelmann spokesperson Jutta Meister admits on inquiry. And this is issue n.1 to take into account: the economics of retail sustainability.

“Particular attention also always needs to be paid to the economical aspect of sustainability”, says Tobias Walter of tegut. “We build beautiful marketplaces for our customers, which thanks to our consolidated know-how generally are not more expensive than the otherwise widely common ‘shoe box buildings’”. Kai Falk, Managing Director of Communication and Sustainability at the German Retail Federation HDE also believes: investments in sustainability in retail have a chance on a larger scale only if they also pay off financially.

And this pay off can be energy savings. In food retail, according to the EHI more than 55 Euros per square meter of sales floor are incurred for energy, in which cooling at 44 percent accounts for the largest electricity consumption. In non-food retail on average 31 Euros per square meter need to be spent. Here the largest portion at 65 percent is caused by lighting expenses.

The EHI notices a large willingness in retail to invest in energy savings practices. 80 percent of polled retailers are said to be willing to invest in energy-saving cooling systems and equipment. This high readiness can be explained by savings expectations of up to 20 percent. Aside from investments in new cooling devices, the choice of cooling agent is also getting more and more important, especially since the old R22-systems have to be converted. Cooling with CO2 was one of the big trade fair topics at the EuroShop 2011.

Many commercial enterprises work on new projects and initiatives about a more sustainable retail. Hardly anybody believes they can afford to not be a part of green topics. The discerning public will intently look at what’s show and what is true concern. But ultimately it is the consumers themselves that have to start rethinking, because they choose where they shop. They choose what they would like to stay away from.

M’Illumino di meno: awakening Italy to sustainability

Fresh Worldwide Press, Hospitality, sustainability, , , , , , , , , ,

Today is the M’Illumino di Meno 2011 day organized by Italian Rai2 Caterpillar radio program. The campaign aims to the awaken public attention toward the energy issues by inviting people, companies and public structures (schools and municipalities) to reduce the waste of energy during this day. Many companies and municipalities have adhered to the campaign – the whole list is available here.
NH Hoteles Italia sustains this event by turning off all the facade lights of its Italian Hotels, and switching off unused energy appliances  for the whole day (Source: NH Hoteles and Caterpillar)

SHOWFOOD presents SMEG CW500 dishwasher: sustainability, design and efficiency

DESITA, ecology, equipment, My Journal, SHOWFOOD, sustainability, , , , , , ,

This year in SHOWFOOD‘s product catalogue our customers will find many new products which are both efficient and sustainable. The first one to be introduced is SMEG CW500 dishwasher with Heat recovery.

Smeg CWC500

 The special Drain Heat Recovery (D.H.R.) unit, 2 patent pending,

transfers heat from the water outlet to the inlet, thus raising the initial temperature of the water supply by around 20°C with a consequent energy saving of over 25% compared to the standard model. It also help saving water (11 litres against 30 consumed by traditional machines) and thanks to its Standby function saves up to 70% of energy in respect to traditional machines. The total running cost saving: up to 44%, a great result for a great product! (Please visit SHOWFOOD for further information about this product)