Home Index: Leroy Merlin’s innovative indicator to measure the sustainability of its products

Leroy Merlinthe leading home improvement and conditioning company, has presented HOME INDEX, its innovative indicator that evaluates the environmental and social impact of its products throughout their life cycle. A pioneering and driving tool (in line with a business model that integrates the Positive Impact strategy) in which the company has been working for five years together with ADEO, the group to which it belongs (France was, a year and a half ago, the country to implement it, where 99% of suppliers have already joined the project).

In a context in which it is increasingly necessary to face major challenges in terms of sustainability (increasingly aware consumers, much more demanding legislation and continuous change in the market), HOME INDEX is the company’s main response. A change in the paradigm of your business that goes beyond what is required by Spanish and European legislation and, of course, in continuous evolution. A solid approach that will continually improve Leroy Merlin’s offering, a historic step in information transparency. A project that aspires to become a reference for new approaches in the sector.

The essence of HOME INDEX

This tool evaluates the impact of a product throughout its life cycle in a novel way. As a result of this evaluation, the products are classified from ‘A’ (greatest proven positive impact) to ‘E’ (greatest room for improvement). «It is a robust, tested and audited methodology, which takes into account up to 30 criteria based on the life cycle of the product, social and ethical aspects or people’s health. A tool that helps us work with internal teams and our suppliers, to create an offer of products that respond to the demand of our customers and society, and helps them make more informed and responsible purchases,” said Cristina Sánchez, director Positive Impact executive of Leroy Merlin Spain, at her presentation event.

Since its launch, the company already has 700 trained suppliers and more than 140,000 classified references, which contribute to the traceability of the impact of each phase of the product life cycle (the 30 indicators are divided into 8 blocks -see box- and a bonus if the product has an ecological label). Likewise, Leroy Merlin, through the Cultural Transformation area, launched the figure of ‘Positive Ambassadors’ at the beginning of the year, to accompany the cultural change around sustainability in all stores, so that they can contribute to consumers of the 21st century: according to a study by Leroy Merlin, 8 out of 10 people aware of responsible consumption highlighted the difficulty in finding out about the sustainability of products.

«We are convinced (concluded Miguel Madrigal, Marketing Director of Leroy Merlin Spain) that consumers can be agents of change. With information on the impact of the products, our customers can introduce this variable into their decision-making process when purchasing.” With nearly 19 million homes in Spain, every gesture counts.

The eight pillars that make up Home Index (30 criteria based on the product life cycle)

These are the eight sustainable pillars of Home Index:

1. Raw materials

2. Manufacturing

3. Water and energy consumption

4. Transportation

5. Service life and repairability

6. Recyclability

7. Ethics

8. Health

The Circular: together for a better environment

Leroy Merlin has also launched ‘La Circular’, an awareness campaign articulated by a spot that seeks to inspire the population to create a better environment from their own homes. With meteorologist Mario Picazo as sponsor, this campaign reinforces the company’s commitment to sustainability with a very simple premise: “The planet is everyone’s home, and as such, it is our responsibility to take care of it.” Because with nearly 19 million homes in Spain, every gesture counts.

“We have the objective that our clients can make informed and responsible decisions, trying to democratize access to information as much as possible and being totally transparent,” concluded Picazo.