Lidl introduces Eco-Score in Belgian stores

Next week, Lidl will launch the Eco-Score in 171 of its Belgian stores. The label will appear on the price tags of about a hundred food products.

Private label products first

Earlier this year, Lidl already trialled the Eco-Score in Germany. Now, the discounter announces that it will also introduce the system in Belgium. The price labels of a hundred private label products, including dairy products, tea and coffee, will be provided with the Eco-Score as of 2 August.

Initially, the label will be introduced in 171 stores of the supermarket chain for a limited number of products. “Before expanding the initiative, we want to take the time to know what customers and other stakeholders think of the Eco-Score”, says spokesperson Isabelle Colbrandt.

Clear

The Eco-Score was developed in France with the intention to inform consumers at a simple glance about the ecological impact and sustainability of products. The score takes the product’s entire life cycle, as well as criteria such as certification, origin and packaging into account. The product gets assigned a code utilising colours and letters. A dark green ‘A’ stands for a small impact and a red ‘E’ for a large impact on the environment. The concept is very similar to the Nutri-Score, which indicates the extent to which a specific product contributes to a healthy diet.

In Belgium, Colruyt was the first large retailer to introduce the indicator in March. Initially, the Eco-Score could only be consulted through the SmartWithFood app. Since then, the first private label products with an Eco-Score printed on the packaging have already appeared on the shelves of the Belgian retailer.