Consumers have voted Tesco and the Co-operative societies the greenest supermarkets in a survey for The Grocer.

More than 2,000 shoppers were asked which supermarkets were doing most on the environmental and ethical fronts in the Harris Interactive survey.

Tesco came first and the Co-operative societies second on environmental issues, Tesco having leapfrogged the Co-ops since a survey in June. The Co-ops retained their top spot on the ethical front. Waitrose ranked third on both counts, Sainsbury's fourth and fifth and Marks and Spencer fifth and fourth.

The survey's results contrasted sharply with the National Consumer Council's Greening Supermarkets report this week, which put the top eight supermarkets to the test on four key green indicators, and gave Waitrose the mantle of greenest supermarket with a B rating, while Sainsbury's and M&S were given Cs; and Tesco, Asda and the Co-ops Ds. Morrisons and Somerfield were E-rated. Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Tesco's corporate and legal affairs director and company secretary, said of the Harris survey: "There's always more to do, but we've made a great start and this research reflects our hard work. Customers will see more of the same." Zoe Morgan, the Co-operative Group's director of marketing, added: "The Grocer research reinforces the high regard consumers have for socially responsible supermarkets. "

However, a spokesman for the Co-operative Group questioned the scope of the NCC research: "Our overall result was let down by the verdict on our fresh fish. As a predominantly small store retailer, our fish range is naturally limited. And on climate change, no account has been taken of supermarkets' green energy usage, an issue we lead on."

The NCC urged the multiples to do more to help consumers make green choices and called for more recycled materials to be used in packaging, and more sourcing and promotion of seasonal UK fresh produce

However, the Harris survey indicated that consumers had different priorities. Recycling topped the list of initiatives customers expected their supermarkets to be actively involved in with 42% saying it was extremely or very important, while local sourcing and energy efficiency were considered priorities by 33%, ethical sourcing by 32% and organic sourcing by 22%.

Asked whether they would pay more for "green" food, 58% said they would for local products; 54% for ethical and 39% for organic.

Some 49% said they sought out locally sourced products, compared with 36% for ethically sourced and just 29% for organic.

Caterina Gerlotto, senior researcher at Harris, said: "Organic food seems to have lost some of its glitz. Consumers have become more educated and label-savvy and locally sourced food is easier to authenticate than organic. The feelgood factor is also key - doing your bit for the local community."

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