Sustainable products and consumers
When you consider all the products we import and consume in the UK, the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 19% since 1990. And across Europe people currently consume 30% more natural resources than the Earth can replenish.
The impacts from our businesses, lifestyles and homes are not sustainable. 75% of consumers’ carbon emissions are from products and services and we must find more efficient ways of producing and consuming goods in order to reduce our impacts on the environment including the natural environment.
Latest news
- 30 September 2011 - British Standards Institution publishes revised PAS 2050 method for assessing the carbon footprint of products, sponsored by Defra, Decc and BIS.
What can you do?
Consumers can help reduce their impact and make a difference by the choices they make about the goods and services they buy and how they use them. Find out more information on how to be more sustainable at home, including how to pick greener products and understand labels, by visiting Directgov guides on the Environment and Greener Living.
Businesses can make a difference by reducing the impact of their products and services on the environment from the processes of: design, materials use, packaging, delivery, marketing, disposal and reuse. Free business advice and support (including grant schemes that may be available) to secure environment and efficiency gains by businesses and improve sustainability and green credentials is available from the Business Link website.
What is Defra doing for businesses and consumers?
Defra is working with partners (including Business and Consumer groups) and is supporting the following projects that encourage sustainable consumption and production:
- Defra leads on the development of policies to encourage sustainable public purchasing, in particular Government Buying Standards.
- Carbon footprinting product impacts – (the PAS2050 methodology) – “PAS 2050” is the first published methodology to enable business to measure their carbon footprint of the products and services in a standard and consistent way.
Energy Using Products – standards, requirements and initiatives
Minimum EU energy and environmental performance standards are in the process of being set for over twenty products (eg ICT, white goods, boilers and lighting). The technical requirements are set out in the regulations, and the Market Transformation Programme (MTP) provides more information and the evidence underpinning the standards. The National Measurement Office (NMO) is responsible for enforcement of Eco-Design of Energy Using Products and European Energy Labels requirements.
- Guidance notes for Implementing Measures already agreed (PDF)
- Market Transformation Programme
- National Measurement Office
Product roadmaps – improving produce and producers’ sustainability
Government and industry are working together on ten pilot roadmaps. These roadmaps aim to improve sustainability across the life cycles of a range of important products, including clothing, milk and plasterboard.
The roadmaps aim to:
- establish the impacts that occur across the life cycle of each product
- identify existing actions being taken to address those impacts
- develop and implement a voluntary action plan to address any gaps.
The table below shows the current status of the ten selected product roadmaps:
| Sector | Product | Evidence study | Action plan status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appliances | Sewage pumping systems | Published 2010 | Scheduled for spring 2011 |
| Domestic lighting | Published 2009 | No forthcoming Action Plan. Defra will continue to work closely with other government departments to stimulate LED innovation and market development. | |
| Televisions | Published 2008 | No forthcoming Action Plan, due to lack of industry interest at present | |
| Buildings | Plasterboard | Published 2009 | Action Plan published October 2010. Plasterboard Sustainability Partnership established. Roadmap led by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). |
| WCs | Published 2008 | Action Plan in development. Roadmap secretariat function provided by WRAP. | |
| Windows | Published 2009 | Action Plan published October 2010. Windows Sustainability Partnership established. Roadmap led by WRAP. | |
| Food and drink | Fish and shellfish | Published 2010 | In development |
| Milk | Published 2007 | Updated Action Plan (PDF, 779 KB) published 2009. Roadmap led by industry. | |
| Passenger Transport | Passenger cars | Published 2009 | No forthcoming Action Plan, as lots of existing activity and few gaps highlighted in evidence study |
| Textiles | Clothing | Search for “Sustainable Clothing” among our Search Science and Research projects | Progress report published March 2011. Roadmap led by WRAP from April 2011. |
Environmental claims and Labels – working with business to help customers choose sustainable products –
Providing clear, straightforward information on the environmental performance of products has benefits for both consumers and business alike. Defra works with business to help them comply with mandatory labelling requirements (like the EU energy label), encourage robust voluntary labeling schemes (like the EU Ecolabel), and to encourage environmental claims that are clear, accurate and substantiated.
Wider Sustainable Consumption Production (SCP) Research
- Named SCP research can be found by searching the Defra research and development database.
Key publications
- ‘Habits, Routines and Sustainable Lifestyles’ – a report suggesting that making people aware of/questioning their habitual behaviours encourages change
- ‘Moments of Change’ report suggesting that there are ‘premium’ times to support new behaviours
- ‘Exploring Catalyst Behaviours’ report which explores the idea that taking-up a new behaviour (such as recycling) may cause people to start another, or many more, pro-environmental behaviours.