Dive Brief:
- Dutch fruit and vegetable supplier Nature & More and Swedish supermarket ICA have partnered in a trial to replace sticky labels on organic avocados and sweet potatoes with a laser mark, according to the Guardian. M&S are also using laser labeling on coconuts in the United Kingdom.
- Replacing plastic produce stickers with lasers — known as “natural branding”— could make a significant environmental impact, as it can create huge savings in plastic, energy and CO2 emissions.
- Natural branding involves using a strong light to remove the pigment from the skin of produce, which becomes invisible once the skin is removed, with no affect on taste, quality or shelf life.
Dive Insight:
With more than 120 tons of produce grown and sold in stores each year, the amount of plastic used for sticker labels quickly adds up. This new laser labeling technique can help reduce plastic waste and, according to experts, can also conserve energy and CO2 emissions. The laser process requires only 1% of the carbon emissions needed to produce a sticker of a similar size.
Lasered-on labels are just the sort of innovation that appeals to millennials and other consumers concerned with environmental sustainability.
Retailers should seek opportunities to include innovations like these in their stores. Numerous reports and studies have shown that millennials favor companies that show a demonstrated commitment to sustainability and social improvement, including reducing the waste of a produce sticker. In fact, Forbes reported that as much as 81% of millennials expect companies to show "good corporate citizenship," and are willing to pay more for it in most cases.
Supporting methods that have high impact on the environment without inconveniencing the consumer could help retailers stay ahead of competitors without alienating the average mass-market consumer.