Persil tops 'eco-index' for green productsGreen report lists best and worst household items
27 August 2009
Persil's laundry products have topped a new 'eco-league' which ranks branded products on their environmental and eco-friendly credentials, while Haribo sweets came bottom of the list.
An environmental consultancy has assessed products made by Britain's top 100 brands on a range of eco-factors and then ranked them in order of their overall impact on the environment to create the Green Index report.
Researchers used 48 questions to cover areas of environmental sustainability including use of resources, packaging, food miles and Fairtrade ingredients, linking an overall score out of 590 points to an A to G grade. None of the products tested achieved grade A or B, with 85% of products achieving D or below.
We've tested a range of laundry and cleaning products - find out how Persil and other brands performed in our reviews section online.
Persil ranked number one
The scoring system was compiled by environmental consultancy EnvirUP in conjunction with the University of Nottingham.
Top performers Persil - who achieved a grade C rating - were followed in the list by PG Tips tea, Finish dishwasher tablets, Volvic water and Kellogg's Special K breakfast cereal.
Surf and Ariel laundry products, Ribena, Quality Street and Evian also featured in the top 10.
Bottom of the league was Haribo, scoring just 72 out of a possible 590 points. Muller yoghurts, Cathedral City cheese and Young's chilled fish also finished in the bottom 10.
Greener products
EnvirUP founder Assim Ishaque today said: 'Many brands have caught on to the 'green' trend but some have clearly missed the demand for greener products.
'We developed the EnvirUP Green Index as the first review of the widely accepted top 100 list of consumer goods, such as washing products, snacks, drinks and other everyday items.'
Which?'s greener living section has a range of advice on environmental issues - including packaging, choosing products for an eco-friendly home and recycling.
Plus take a look at our product reviews of washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers and fridges for information on environmental impact and energy efficiency.
Top 10 in the Green Index
1. Persil laundry
2. PG Tips
3. Finish
4. Volvic
5. Kellogg's Special K
6. Surf
7. Ribena
8. Quality Street
9. Ariel
10. Evian
Bottom 10 in the Green Index
91. Red Bull
92. Clover spreads
93. Richmond sausages
94. John West canned fish
95. Warbutons
96. Young's chilled fish
97. Cathedral City
98. Muller Corner
99. Muller Light
100. Haribo gums and jellies
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