Now that we’re facing a global environmental crisis, more brands are doing their best to embrace green initiatives, reduce their carbon emissions, plastic waste, and energy and water waste as well. The effort comes with twofold benefits: first of all, customers today care more about the planet than ever before so they’re happy to support brands that go the extra mile, and secondly, adopting sustainable practices allows you to actually make a difference with your business. Still, not every brand is as versed in the practice as others, and we have so much to learn from those that have mastered going green.
If you are looking for effective ways to green up your business and to make sure that you appeal to the right target audience with such an approach, take a closer look at what others like you are doing. Here are a few examples of businesses that have found ways to go green, contribute to local economic growth, and protect the planet in the process.
Au naturel like Lush
Already famous for their unique take on beauty, Lush has made it quite obvious that they take their green promise very seriously. For starters, their idea of naked beauty might not be new, but they have certainly gone to great lengths to ensure that they provide vegan-friendly options, cruelty-free products, and that their packaging is predominantly reusable, like the little tin packets for the soap bars.
In addition to the “naked” products that are free of packaging, you can opt for recyclable plastic bottles filled with body lotion – one of those beauty products that simply needs to have a container. But they don’t stop there. They’ve recently opened their first packaging-free store in the UK, in an attempt to completely eliminate the use of plastic and inspire other brands to follow their lead. They are a great example as to how brands can rethink existing concepts that use plastic and other wasteful and harmful practices and replace them with eco-friendly alternatives that are quite possible and cost-efficient.
Branch out your efforts like TOMS
Their well-known and beloved model of “for each pair sold, one pair is donated to those in need” has earned this brand quite a reputation over the years. While their eco initiatives are still work in progress, they have already made great strides in their efforts to introduce vegan and sustainable fabrics into their production lines, offer vegan collections, and expand on their social responsibility even further.
They use their business for a slew of other efforts, such as providing safe drinking water to those in need through their sustainable water systems. They have clearly outlined to what extent each purchase of their product impacts the world and in what ways, giving their customers’ the reins in how they can make a difference by selecting the right brands. It may take time to develop such initiatives and to have such a vast, global reach, but it certainly pays to understand how these brands do it if you plan to join their ranks.
Solving the waste problem like Invest Islands
Showing that there are more ways than one in which you can address our world’s waste issues, some brands give their initiatives several layers to aid the local community. In that same manner, the Jack Brown Invest Islands Foundation serves the purpose of protecting Indonesia’s natural wealth and eco-systems while investing in waste-reducing efforts on its tourist-packed islands.
However, in addition to working on reducing waste pollution today, this organization also invests in ongoing education and essential amenities for the local communities, so as to prevent future pollution problems through raising awareness. They are not only implementing advanced methods to clean the beaches and protect the marine life, but they are looking for ways to teach the younger generations on their impact on the environment and prevent further pollution from occurring.
Transparency done Patagonia-style
Loved by every single nature enthusiast, Patagonia has already established itself as the leader in producing high-quality, long-lasting collections for every adventure-seeker out there. They already have sustainability practices in place that help them preserve the environment they celebrate, but they also have something rather unique about their brand: they are fiercely transparent about their brand.
While they do share their efforts to find smarter, more planet-friendly ways to make their products, they also openly talk about all the ways in which they have yet to live up to their customers’ expectations, such as reducing fossil fuel usage in their production. To offset the negative impact of this process, they donate heavily to various green organizations and sustainability causes across the globe. The very fact that they are willing to admit they are not completely green gives them the edge so many brands lack.
You need to own your brand and its shortcomings before you can move forward and talk about your contributions.
It’s high time more businesses embraced green practices and sustainable solutions to help resolve the ongoing crisis and ensure a safer, cleaner future for generations to come. You can follow the lead of these brands and finally find ways in which your brand can contribute to the cause, so that your reputation will stand the test of time, and your customers will have yet another reason to stay loyal to your business.
