As the growing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products and services is gaining more traction, consumers have become more keen to gather awareness and information about green consumerism.
Consumers have the power to support sustainable brands and avoid those who promote greenwashing marketing practices. But we must keep our eyes open. Many shady brands wrongfully use this positive eco-wave to trick and lure consumers with false promises.
Several popular green brands claim to practise sustainability, but their services are not entirely eco-friendly. This strategy is called greenwashing—an ethical marketing technique that tries to convince consumers that their product is when it isn’t. Once you learn to identify greenwashing, you can spot it everywhere — from garments to cereal boxes.
You don’t deserve false promises or to get greenwashed—check this article to learn how you can identify greenwashing practices and avoid those brands.
Every brand aims to develop a trusted bond with its consumers through the products they are producing. Currently, no law mandates the use of the word “sustainable” by brands to describe their products, so the term can be used by many—vaguely or falsely—to establish consumers’ trust.
To seek brand transparency, you must understand that brands that follow ethical practices include numbers and facts to indicate what progress they have made towards sustainability. It requires immense effort to work and manufacture following eco-conscious standards. So if a brand follows environment-friendly practices, they will be eager to share their achievements in great detail. An organisation’s reluctance to share its achievements and lack of transparency could indicate that they are not being honest.
Who founded the company? What is their goal? Does the brand have a mission? Anyone entrepreneur who creates a sustainable brand must be a responsible person. So try to gather as much information as you can about the founders, and search for online interviews (if there are any) to see if they are advocating sustainability and speaking about their business model.
Achieving accreditations suggests that a company is not just discussing its high-standard ethical and sustainable practices—but has also put in the work to achieve the goal—and has proven it through certifications and accreditations.
Many certifications are granted to companies that fulfil superior standards of verified environmental and social performance and maintain legal accountability and public transparency to balance purpose and profit. You may look for accreditations from some popular official regulatory bodies like Global Organic Textiles Standard, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, Global Recycling Standard, Cruelty-Free International and many more.
Opt for brands that use biodegradable or/and recycled packaging that does not use plastic. Green consumerism is not just about purchasing sustainable products and services—you should also focus on the type of product packaging and delivery packaging the company is using.
Sustainable brands are typically less discount-led. If your go-to sustainable brands offer frequent price reductions—it may not be a good sign. Conversely, permanent pricing or infrequent discounts are a positive sign. In addition, authentic sustainable brands often keep away from participating in sight-after sales events such as Black Friday.
It’s time to put on your detective hat and unleash your investigation skills. Go through online reviews and articles to find out what customers and experts have to say about the brand in the press, blogs and on social media.
Pay attention to how the brand deals with negative comments and reviews on social media. If you feel they are not answering truthfully or responding at all—you should reconsider your brand choice.
Several websites rank sustainable brands based on environmental and ethical aspects. They do all the work to make your shopping experience greener. You can also use similar apps that can help you find sustainable brands you didn’t know of.
Smaller and more responsible choices from your end can make a big impact. So keep your eyes open and practise green consumerism to save the planet!
