In a world where climate change and actually doing something about it is increasingly important, some brands are beginning to take sustainability seriously.
On the flip side, a lot of brands that claim to be “green” aren’t really practicing what they preach.
Here are a few quick tips to determine whether a brand is actually committed to sustainable and ethical practices.
1. Sustainable and Ethical Certifications
The fastest way to check whether you’re buying something that was produced responsibly is to check for certifications.
Look for some of these certifications the next time you’re on your grocery run, shopping for new pants, laundry detergent or whatever!
General:
Food:
- USDA Organic
- Rainforest Alliance Certified
- Fair Trade Certified
- Fair for Life
- Fairtrade International
- RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil
- Certified Humane
- Certified Grass-Fed by AGW
- Animal Welfare Approved
Fashion & Textiles:
Cleaning & Laundry:
Packaging & Waste:
Quick note: many of these certifications have costs associated with them which smaller businesses might not be able to afford. However, there are many ways beyond certifications a company can prove they’re acting sustainably and ethically.
2. They publish their sustainability activity
Many companies publish sustainability reports or pages on their websites to share practices, goals, and progress in topics like:
- Energy and water usage
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Ingredients sourcing
- Packaging and waste
- Worker welfare
Just Google “[Company Name] sustainability report” to find out whether or not a brand has one. Patagonia and Seventh Generation are a few great examples to reference.
Ideally, a company would have sustainable practices and/or goals outlined in each of the above topic areas.
3. They set and meet sustainability goals
If a company has sustainability goals (if they don’t, red flag!), you can typically find them on their website or in a sustainability report. However, not all goals are created equally.
Here are a few examples of what you might find:
Good:
Achieve carbon neutrality within own operations within 5 years.
Bad:
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10%.
Problems: seems pretty small, doesn’t give an end date to achieve (will they meet this in 1 year? 5? 10?)
A great sustainability goal should be ambitious, address a meaningful environmental issue, and include a reasonable end date.
4. They’re sharing progress toward their sustainability goals
Once a brand has established some killer sustainability goals, they should be tracking, measuring, and publishing their progress. This holds them accountable to achieve what they promised.
So, if you can find this information on their website or in a sustainability report, that’s usually an indicator that they’re taking their sustainability goals seriously.
5. They’re transparent
Radical transparency is a recent trend for sustainable brands. This means that companies publicly share information about how and where their products are made.
Info companies might share could include:
- Geographical origins of ingredients
- Factory locations
- Images of manufacturing processes
For example, Marks & Spencer publishes an interactive map where anyone can view information on their factories and workers.
Patagonia also publishes what they call their Footprint Chronicles, which shares information on their factories and farms.
6. Sustainability is a part of their mission
Finally, reading a company’s mission statement can be another way to determine whether or not they care about sustainability and social responsibility. Patagonia’s mission statement is a great example.
Of course, their mission should be backed by ambitious sustainability goals and practices. Otherwise, it’s just greenwashing!
How do you find sustainable brands? Let us know in the comments below!
