Green Supermarkets

Co-op and Marks & Spencer named UK's 'greenest' supermarkets

''Retailers score highly for their progress in areas such as sustainable sourcing, while Tesco, Asda and Netto receive the lowest ratings.

The Co-op and Marks & Spencer are today named as the UK's "greenest" supermarkets a new survey which rates retailers' progress in areas such as sustainable and ethical sourcing. Tesco, Asda and Netto were identified as the three w in orst performing companies. 

M&S was highly praised for its palm oil policies. It now stipulates the use of sustainable palm oil in many of its own-brand goods and is advised on the issue by WWF. M&S also scored well for its climate change policies which include a target of using non-crop derived biofuels in its fleet of vehicles. 

Rob Harrison of Ethical Consumer, and co-author of the buyers' guide, said: "If you're lucky enough to live close to a local independent shop that has an ethical stocking policy then this is where we would recommend people to shop. However the reality is that the vast majority of us now shop in supermarkets and we would therefore urge shoppers to choose either the Co-op or M&S." 

He went on: "These two companies have made genuine efforts to reduce the environmental and ethical impact of their operations and have demonstrated that they are setting the environmental agenda for supermarkets." ''

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/dec/20/co-op-marks-spencer-greenest-supermarkets