Product information means different things to different people. When consumers go to the store, they use product information such as ingredient lists and allergens to make purchasing decisions. Retailers on the other hand use product information for guidance on matters such as storage temperatures and marketing. The use of product information is now being actively extended to product sustainability insights and management. In this article, we take a look at why product information is responsibility information.
Product information
There are a variety of product databases in use in Finland and around the world for different sectors. For example, the Infine Sustainability Data Service uses product information from the GS1 Synkka database as one of its sustainability data sources. GS1 Synkka is a Finnish product database for the retail sector that connects suppliers and all those who need product information. The service enables suppliers to provide information on a wide range of product characteristics, from the name of the product to the origin of the raw materials, making the data conveniently available to those who need it. The database is a concrete aid to product information management.
Product information and sustainability information are interlinked because product sustainability is built up at all stages of a product’s life cycle. Sustainability is not a separate product feature, but an integral part of any decision concerning a product, from the conditions under which it is manufactured to the choice of raw materials and onwards to broad strategic decisions. Therefore, any information that is maintained about a product will always indicate the sustainability of the product. Sustainability information is both the information that proves the product is responsible and the information that indicates areas for improvement. Missing information can also be used to complete the understanding of the level of responsibility of the product.
Country of origin of raw material
The country of origin of a product’s raw materials can have a significant impact on the sustainability of the product. Production conditions vary between countries and regions, and in some cases, there may be a high risk of child labor and forced labor, for example, or an increased risk of environmental damage due to production conditions. For example, the World Bank maintains a list of countries where there are ongoing violent conflicts or where legislation does not adequately guarantee workers’ rights. The lack of information on the country of origin thus exposes a product to serious risks, while the traceability of information opens up the possibility of making informed decisions on the responsibility of the raw material of the product.
Product classification
The GPC (Global Product Classification) standard is GS1’s global product classification for manufacturers and retailers. The product classification alone tells you a lot about the sustainability of a product, as some products are typically more harmful to humans and the environment than others. Products in different categories have different features, such as typical water use, the environmental impact of farming methods, or the quantity and quality of harmful ingredients. Coffee is one of the most typical examples: it is consumed in large quantities in areas where it is not grown and has little nutritional value. Moreover, coffee cultivation requires a lot of space and, due to its increasing consumption, has an impact on deforestation and the local water resources. These features are typical of coffee, regardless of the brand and the domestically roasted beans.
Consumers' guidelines
Proper use of a product – whether it’s dosing coffee appropriately or following washing instructions – is part of product sustainability. Consumer guidelines help people to use products in the right way, so that the product is not wasted or damaged, for example during washing, thus shortening its lifetime. Consumer information is typically provided on the product packaging or in the instructions accompanying the product, but may not be recorded in databases. It is therefore a good idea to include this information in the databases: through the databases, consumer information is sure to reach even those who do not physically handle the products.
We use the GS1 Synkka database as one of the sources of product information for Infine Sustainability Management software so that both manufacturers and retailers of products have an easy way of learning about product sustainability. By making use of the existing database, we avoid a situation where the same product information would have to be completed in several different places.
So which would be the easiest way to ensure that the overall sustainability of one’s product is indicated in the product information? For example, you can start by checking whether Synkka or another product database in use contains information on the country of origin of production and manufacture, whether the product classification is correctly labelled and whether the database contains consumer information.
If you want to know more, please contact us!
Infine’s Co-Chief Sustainability Officer Elina Koskipahta and Elska Kolu, who play a key role in the development of Infine’s software, were interviewed for this article.
Elska
Kolu
Co-Chief Sustainability officer
Elina
Koskipahta
Co-Chief Sustainability officer