Kruidvat
In the Benelux, the chemist’s chain Kruidvat—a subsidiary of AS Watson and sister company to Superdrug—is introducing the Nature Impact Score, an independent rating that shows the environmental impact of its own-brand products. Customers can see the score in the app and on the website, but not yet on the packaging.
Three criteria
The Environmental Impact Score, based on the international GSES standard, uses a color code reminiscent of the Nutri-Score for food. Red indicates a high environmental impact, dark green a low environmental impact. Additionally, percentages indicate the impact measured by the score, from production through to the moment the product is on the store shelf.
The final score is based on three components: environment (the impact on air, water, and soil), circularity (the extent to which a product’s materials can be used, reused, and recycled), and production (the effect of substances released during the production and transport of the product on human health and the environment). Customers can find the score on the Kruidvat website and app. The score is not yet visible on product packaging. In stores, the retailer displays the Nature Impact Score a few times a year via shelf displays, for example, but not yet on a regular basis.
“Sustainability is part of the equation”
“With the Nature Impact Score from GSES—Global Sustainable Enterprise System—we are taking an important step toward uniform transparency regarding the environmental impact of our private-label products. A single clear score, based on an independent standard, that ensures clarity, fairness, and comparability—both online and in-store,” says sustainability manager Leendert van Bergeijk of parent company AS Watson Benelux on LinkedIn. “We don’t want to make sustainability a separate issue. On the contrary: with the Nature Impact Score, we’re making sustainability something that’s simply part of the picture. Understandable, affordable, and easy to incorporate into everyday choices.”
GSES stands for Global Sustainable Enterprise System. It is a platform where companies use independently verified data to gain insight into the environmental impact of their organization and products.
