Sustainability in Retail: 5 Ways to Make Your Company More Sustainable

Until recently, sustainability was a market approach in retail. But in the last few decades, we have seen businesses take on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives as a means to lessen their environmental effect.

In 2017, health giant Johnson & Johnson vowed to source 35 percent of its energy needs from renewable resources. In Coca-Cola’s 2020 sustainability targets , they’ve vowed to recover at least 75 percent of the bottles they present onto the market.

We’re beginning to see a growing number of companies taking a position when it comes to environmentalism.

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As it is what consumers want. Issues like climate change, excess waste and unethical labour practices are far more conspicuous than they used to be. This has a knock-on effect in regards to our buying habits. A 2017 research by Cone Communications reveals how much sustainability dictates our buying decisions. They found that 87 percent of Americans would buy products from companies who advocate for environmental and social responsibility. Even more significantly, 76% would boycott companies who act in a way contrary to this.

So, brands now must show they are making credible attempts to be sustainable. Nevertheless smaller retailers often struggle to find ways of lowering their footprint which are scalable to their own operations. But, there still are several powerful initiatives out there that are adaptable to companies of every size. Here are a few ideas to help get you started:

The path to sustainable retail: 5 steps to take1. Be sustainable in regular retail practices

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There are numerous actions you can take on your daily operations to promote sustainable retail.

These include:

Choose energy-efficient gear, lights, and appliances

Begin with opting for appliances, lighting, and equipment that conserve energy.

You can, as an instance, swap out your conventional incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving alternatives like CLF and LED lighting. You’ll realize that the latter not only requires less electricity (that then lead to reduce greenhouse emissions), but you will save money in the procedure.

Based on Energy.gov, a 60 watt traditional incandescent lighting has a yearly energy cost of $4.80 and contains a bulb life of 1,000 hours. Meanwhile, a power efficent alternative like 12W LED light, not only has a lower annual cost at $1.00, but it also lasts longer. These bulbs have a lifespan of 25,000 hours.

Implement the identical practice on your other equipment or appliances. If you are planning to replace your AC unit, by way of instance, be certain that the next one you buy is energy efficient. To make this simpler, select products that are ENERGY STAR certified.

Minimize paper use

Reduce the amount of paper that you use in your own organization. Identify tasks or procedures that take a pencil and paper, then work to digitize them.

As an example, if your employee handbook still lives in a tangible binder, consider transferring the content on the internet and simply sharing it with your workers digitally. Doing this will make the handbook a great deal more accessible, as it allows your employees to get is using their own devices.

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You can even reduce paper usage by choosing digital receipts. Ask shoppers should they prefer that receipts be emailed to them. Industry data shows that 89 percent of customers would like retailers to provide digital receipts as an option, which means you’ll probably get a positive response from your clients.

Dispose of waste properly

You also need to be aware of how you dispose of waste in your company. A great first step would be to minimize trash by deciding to reuse items whenever possible, or to contribute things which are no more needed in your small business.

And in the event that you must dispose of something, be certain you and your staff are putting trash items in the ideal bins and always follow our regional guidelines about recycling and composting.

2. Switch to sustainable packaging options

Packaging is very likely to be an essential expense for your organization. This is no matter your size, and if you’ve got a physical or an eCommerce retail presence. But many traditional packaging materials are very damaging to the environment. David Attenborough’s character programme Blue Planet most recently gave customers a shocking penetration into how plastic pollution is degrading ecosystems and wildlife.

So, green packaging is a number of the most credible evidence of a sustainable prognosis. Based on Coleman Parkes Research, 88 percent of customers need packaging to provide more information about sustainability, and 92 percent of customers would choose paper-based over plastic-based packaging.

Naturally, a goal of’zero packaging’ is not realistic. Businesses will need to transport goods efficiently and protect them from harm. Packaging also presents an important branding opportunity for companies.

You can begin creating more environmentally conscious packaging choices by integrating the’3 Rs’ — reduce, reuse, recycle!

Perfumery Jules & Vetiver made’luxury without waste’ their heritage principle, because of the excessive packaging that’s commonplace in the industry. “We’re very tempted to follow suit and do a fancy perfume box. However, it never sat right with us, philosophically. We understood that just because that is how it’s always been done does not mean that we can not find other ways to impress, ways which are more concentrated on endurance that is sensible.”

So, sustainable packaging does not just decrease your environmental effect. It’s also a fantastic method of differentiating your brand from competitors!

For Emma Gash, the creator of Australian makeup manufacturer Byron Bay Bath Bombs, reusable packaging was the ideal way to demonstrate her commitment to sustainability. “Along with all the custom made tissue paper, I use a paper sticker on a cardboard cylinder. These are both recyclable, and the cylinder can be repurposed for many things; as a pencil holder, a planter box, and a few regional clients even return them!”

So, integrating a more circular market where your packaging is worried will go a long towards lowering your waste output! To discover more about sustainable packaging options, you can check out noissue’s most current study here.

3. Help your clients offset their impact

When folks want to be sustainable, many turn to their buying decisions as a means to make their mark. In actuality, 88 percent of customers want brands to help them reduce their footprint.

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Thus, helping your clients to’offset’ the effect of their retail customs is highly useful to your own sustainability efforts. By helping people to feel more empowered as consumers, this will have a knock-on impact on their everyday habits. Additionally, it gives them assurance that your company is out to make a difference long-term!

A fantastic example is that the reusable coffee cup company Keep Cup. They’re dedicated to 1% for the entire world, a nonprofit that contrasts companies with charities that share their environmental targets. Participating businesses pledge 1% of the overall profits annually to the cause. Specifically, Keep Cup focuses on relieving the effects of disposable items such as straws, grocery bags and (of course!) coffee cups.

In noissue, we run our own eco-packaging alliance programme. With each order, clients can plant trees in regions of the world experiencing deforestation. Participants are given their own eco-packaging alliance badge to put on their site or store window. By doing this, they could market their dedication to finding sustainable solutions to their business requirements.

By tying your initiatives as closely to your retail business as possible, you’re demonstrating your commitment to changing your business from the inside out.

4. Make sustainable retail Part of your brand story

Your efforts will only go so far in case you don’t promote your participation in sustainable initiatives. You want to let consumers know what they (and the world ) stand to profit by encouraging your company. To do so, you want to incorporate sustainability into how your brand communicates with clients. After all, this will not be the sole reason your clients support your company; to create a well-rounded brand, you will need to show customers how sustainability fits seamlessly alongside your other selling points as a merchant.

This is where content promotion comes into play. The messaging in your internet channels plays a huge part in altering your sustainability efforts to a core component of your brand identity. This is a space for you to answer the larger questions about what led you as a merchant to adopt a more sustainable business model. At its heart, content promotion is all about storytelling, and focusing on the long-term worth of your attempts to consumers and the environment.

Consider the following:

  • Who/what causes does your company benefit?
  • How do your attempts produce a better product/customer experience?
  • How do your attempts link back to the ethos of your brand?
  • What do you expect to attain long-term by getting more sustainable?

The answers to these questions will give you a rich source of online content. For Audrey Migot-Adholla, the creator of African American jewellery manufacturer Yala Jewellery, this is especially important to highlighting the positive impact of their initiatives on communities and local founders:

“Yala works with over 150 artisans in Kenya, ensuring they receive fair wages, safe and healthy work environments, and real recognition for their ability. Their stories and photographs have been prominently featured on our site, as we want clients to put faces and names to the men and women who made the jewelry they like.”

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Other strategies like co-marketing with other sustainable brands, blog posts, social networking and email marketing are a excellent way to keep your customers current with your efforts. By continuing this over the long term you incorporate sustainability into the essence of your brand, as opposed to as a heart-tugging sales pitch.

5. Prevent’greenwashing’

Greenwashing is not a new fad, but it has become more widespread as renewable brands and products become more popular. Greenwashing is where companies make misleading claims about how sustainable their business model or merchandise are. This happens when companies treat sustainability as a trend, instead of a long-term strategy. To increase sales, it is tempting to make this a part of the new identity without actually walking the walk.

A famous example is The Honest Company, founded by Hollywood actress Jessica Alba. The Honest Company creates’natural’ household cleansers, infant and beauty products. It was hit by multiple suits as a result of deceptive advertising and unethical (ironically) labeling of components. Their settlement totalled over $1 million, and their brand authenticity was severely damaged.

The takeaway? Today, there’s a strong demand for companies to show their eco-friendly credentials. Slapping the term’sustainable’ across your branding is not going to cut it. ‘Fake it until you make it’ simply does not work in this field (and it is not ethical either). The more thorough you can be together with your supporting evidence, the better.

Make certain your goods are well-labeled — Proper tagging is critical if you’re to avoid misleading your customers. Even if it’s unintentional, this may damage your brand. Be certain that you’re clear and forthcoming about what your products do or don’t contain. A study by Asia Pulp & Paper discovered that over 80 percent of Americans have assessed for sustainability information on labels, and 51 percent were more likely to recommend a product or brand if it has sustainability info. So, this can be a essential part of your marketing strategy.

Get third party certifications — Most businesses have authoritative bodies which maintain product quality and ethical standards. Making the effort to satisfy the requirements for them will make your brand a great deal more trustworthy in the eyes of consumers. Sustainable stationery brand Notely, by way of instance, uses just Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper for her laptops, as this guarantees her clients that her products are sourced in an environmentally and socially sustainable way.

The best aspect of becoming a more sustainable enterprise? It makes you part of the solution. Sustainability is now a strong value proposition to increasingly aware customers. It shows that you’re aware of the societal and environmental issues facing society, and wish to relieve the ways you contribute to them as a merchant. This is a win on your new, and for the planet!

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