Switched to green: How sustainable are the "green" product recommendations at Saturn and MediaMarkt?

Recognizing at a glance which products are particularly sustainable - Saturn customers have been able to do this in the online shop since 2012 with the green label "Jetzt auf Grün schalten" ("Switch to green now"). MediaMarkt is now following and labelling energy-saving and environmentally friendly products in the online shop with the new "Alles im grünen Bereich" (“Everything in a green range”) label. But what is hidden behind the product label?

Service for energy-conscious customers

With their green sustainability labels, MediaMarkt and Saturn labels products in 7 product groups that are particularly energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and save operating costs. In this way, the two brands aim to contribute to energy-saving appliances becoming established in German households. Most of the products sold by MediaMarkt and Saturn consume electricity - this is the nature of the assortment. By labeling their products with the green label, MediaMarkt and Saturn want to visually highlight the particularly environmentally friendly appliances, encourage customers to think about them and support them in their decision to buy an energy-saving appliance. This pays off in two ways for customers: energy-efficient electrical appliances not only save electricity - and thus money - but also generally perform better in terms of other quality criteria such as service life.

Goals of the green guidance systems:

• Give customers a clear and reliable product recommendation for energy-saving, environmentally friendly electrical appliances.
• Make it easier for customers to choose energy-saving products.
• Increase supply and demand for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products.

Which products are labelled as particularly sustainable?

Washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers, televisions of various sizes, coffee machines and vacuum cleaners that are particularly energy-efficient, i.e. energy- and water-saving, and environmentally friendly will be labelled. The selection is based on the recommendations of the Freiburg Öko-Institut e.V., one of Europe's leading independent research and consulting institutes for a sustainable future.

With EcoTopTen, the Öko-Institut recommends at regular intervals a selection of products that comply with minimum ecological criteria, consume little electricity and water and offer an appropriate price/performance ratio. In addition to energy efficiency, other criteria are included in the evaluation, such as the exclusion of halogenated fluorocarbons from refrigerators and freezers or the presence of a warning system when the door is open. The purchase and operating costs, functions and user-friendliness also play a role. For example, in washing machines and dishwashers, the volume and the presence of high-quality water protection are important test criteria. Quality assessments such as those by Stiftung Warentest are also taken into account. The special feature of EcoTopTen is that environmental friendliness and total costs are equally included in the evaluation.

Large household appliances are also labelled with the EU energy label, which is uniform throughout Europe and legally binding. The following applies: the higher the energy efficiency class, the better. Depending on the product group, the top appliances are labelled A, A+, A++ or A+++.

How can you identify the "green products"?

At Saturn, all relevant products carry the green sustainability label "Switch to green now".

At MediaMarkt, the label bears the claim "Everything in the green range".

In the online shop, customers can even filter for products that are labelled as sustainable products. Only the most energy-efficient products, all labelled with the label, will then be displayed.

On a dedicated landing page in the online shops of MediaMarkt and Saturn, customers can read about the product groups covered by the product label and receive information on further sustainability initiatives of the Group.

Are there also sustainable products in other product groups?

Customers can also identify more sustainable products in other product groups using recognised sustainability labels. Two examples:

• Many energy-efficient, environmentally friendly computers, laptops, tablets, monitors and printers have been certified with the international EPEAT label. The EPEAT label identifies products that meet a comprehensive set of environmental criteria. Depending on the number of criteria fulfilled, the seal is issued in bronze, silver or gold.
• More and more certified products are also available in the coffee range, where customers recognise fair-trade coffee by the Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ Certified seals. Organic-certified coffee is labelled with the organic seal.