Cost of a clean conscience

Organic, Fair Trade, environmentally friendly ... we all know we should take these things into account when shopping - but can we afford to?
A recent study commissioned by the Business Council for Sustainable Development showed nearly a third of New Zealanders would be swayed by labelling indicating a product was local, eco-friendly, fair trade or environmentally sensitive, but price was still the deciding factor for most people.
So how easy is it to buy "green" groceries and how much extra will it cost?
A trip to one of New Zealand's established supermarket chains demonstrated a limited number of sustainable shopping choices, and the more environmentally or socially acceptable products were more expensive in eight out of 13 cases.
Items labelled in some way as green included coffee, yoghurt, cheese, rolled oats, pasta, washing power and other cleaning products, eggs, chocolate, toilet paper, light bulbs, corn chips and peanut butter.
In most cases there was only one green option among three or four standard brands that had no eco or social labelling. The price of these organic, recycled, energy-efficient or eco-labelled goods was compared against the range of standard prices.
As can be seen in the table, the standard products were cheaper in eight of the 13 lines, with the green option coming out on top only for toilet paper and tissues made from recycled paper.
Light bulbs had the greatest price difference, with standard 60W bulbs costing 78 per cent less than the energy-efficient equivalent, but the eco bulb labels stated they should last for two years and are designed to save the shopper money through reduced electricity bills during that period.
Dried pasta was not far behind, with standard spaghetti costing 71 per cent less than the same quantity of organic rice and pasta and gluten-free spaghetti.
Washing and cleaning products varied according to brand and it was difficult to make straight comparisons, as some were more concentrated than others. On the whole, consumers could buy own-brand products for considerably less than cleaners with eco-labelling, but could also purchase eco-friendly products for less than some branded items.
The total cost of all 13 green items was $59.71. Buying the non-green groceries would have cost between $33.73 and $49.87, meaning green shopping for this list cost 20 to 77 per cent more.
Earlier this year, South City New World in Christchurch was named New Zealand's "fairest" supermarket at the Fairtrade Supermarket Awards, with Pak'n Save Whakatane coming in second. The awards recognise supermarkets that stock the most Fairtrade products and are most supportive of the concept.
Both supermarkets are part of the Foodstuffs group, and Auckland general retail manager Rob Chemaly said environmentally and socially responsible products were still a small proportion of total sales, but there was a growing group of consumers supporting this trend.
Each store owner/operator makes decisions on which lines to carry based on local customer demand and the group also responds to wider demand through initiatives such as the voluntary labelling of eggs so customers can make informed purchasing decisions.
"During the past five years, we have seen a significant number of larger manufacturers taking action to enhance their green or ethical credentials," Mr Chemaly said. "These changes include adapting their products by using greener or more socially responsible ingredients, introducing new product lines to their ranges - such as fair trade coffee or chocolate - and proactively highlighting the environmentally or socially responsible attributes of their existing products."
Progressive Enterprises was also contacted to comment on its green grocery trends and initiatives, but was unable to respond before deadline.
Trade Aid A principled pioneer
Ethical products are nothing new. Trade Aid was founded in 1973 and pioneered sales of fair trade food products in New Zealand.
It still boasts the nation's broadest range of such food lines, selling more than 50 products, including coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, cocoa, oil and nuts.
Food manager Justin Purser said the organisation focused on supporting farmers in the developing world to improve their lives through trade.
"By providing fairer prices and trading terms, we have helped many thousands of farmers to improve their livelihoods. This can mean providing the extra cash a coffee farmer in Mexico needs to feed his children nutritious food all year round, rather than just for nine months."
Trade Aid also supports community development.
"It's rare that shoppers can make such a powerful impact through their purchases, but we allow them to do just that - and they love it!"
 
SUSTAINABLE PRICE (Above) v STANDARD PRICE (Below)
Tissues (100 sheets)
$1.06 per
$1.46-$1.52
Light Bulbs (60W or equivalent)
$5.00
$1.09
Toilet Paper (four-pack)
$1.99
$1.99-$2.29
Cheddar Cheese (100g)
$2.78
$2.15-$2.78
Plunger Coffee (200g)
$5.99
$5.99
Rolled Oats (1kg)
$6.38
$3.36-$5.70
Dried Spaghetti (500g)
$7.71
$2.21
Corn Chips (250g)
$4.34
$3.34-$4.40
Peanut Butter (400g)
$6.08
$2.66-$4.26
Chocolate (200g)
$7.06
$2.71-$2.99
Washing Powder (1kg)
$4.99
$3.06-$8.74
Multi-surface Cleaner (500ml)
$4.49
$2.96-$5.71
Dishwashing Liquid (500ml)
$1.87
$2.19