2 min read

Britain green by Easter?

What is this all about? Brits are spending more on goods with labels that make products seem friendlier to the environment. Well yes, I can see that. But this bit…

“Up to 40 per cent of Brits reckon their shopping will be 100 per cent ‘green’ by March next year.”

NO SISTER – that can’t be right. 100 per cent green? Well allow me to dwell in a cave and grow my own veg patch. Supermarkets and 100 per cent green look a bit odd on the same press release:

“Up to 40 per cent of Brits reckon their shopping will be 100 per cent ‘green’ by March next year. Shoppers are currently forking out £400 million EXTRA every week choosing food items they know are good for the environment.

Nationally it means Brits are now paying an extra £20 BILLION a year by opting to fill their trolleys with food that helps the planet.

But just over 70 per cent of adults are happy to fork out the extra – because they want to help the planet.

More than 60 per cent of adults try to be green every time they shop for food with a quarter saying they replace a normal food item with an environmentally friendly one every week.

And a quarter (23%) of trolleys are now packed with green items, according to a survey of 3,000 adults for Respectful – the world’s first low-carbon supermarket eggs.

A dedicated 40 per cent have gone as far as to set a target for a totally environmentally friendly shop – with seven months the deadline.

And 95 per cent of the green food Brits are buying comes from within the British Isles.

Shopping environmentally is adding £16.35 to the average shopping bill with 97 per cent of adults admitting it’s more expensive than normal food.

With around 24.5 million households in the UK, having an environmental conscience is adding over £400 million to the nation’s weekly food bill or £20.82 billion each year.

But green foods don’t always cost the earth. Respectful Eggs are now available in all Asda stores and cost the same price as the average box of free-range eggs.

A Respectful spokesman said: ‘There is a growing trend towards making green products more affordable for the ordinary consumer – and Respectful Eggs are leading that movement.

‘Our farms are powered solely by wind turbines and solar panels, and all our packaging is made from recycled pulp, yet at £1.05 per box, buying Respectful doesn’t mean breaking the bank.

“We would love to see other companies following our lead.’

Nearly 15 per cent of parents (14.6%) come under more pressure to buy green when their children are with them.

While 85.5 per cent insist they are more likely to buy green items when they go shopping in person rather than ordering all their food online.

A spokesman for Asda said: ‘The Respectful survey found that across the country as a whole, Brits are swapping a normal food item for a greener version every month.

‘Once back from the supermarket, families are being more responsible than ever with their waste with a third of households now recycling all of their food waste.'”