Making sustainable choices can be a minefield. With the rise of greenwashing and unregulated sustainability claims, it's increasingly hard to make sustainable choices when you are shopping.
So how do we cut through the faff and truly know if we are making a sustainable choice? We've made a list below to help you look out for certain practices that might indicate a business you intend on buying from is aware of their social and environmental impact and is doing as much as they can to excel in those areas.
We've created a list of key things to look for that a shows company is putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to ethical consumption.
1. Sustainable information is easily accessible on their website.
With sustainability, transparency is key. If a company is being clear and open about their sustainability info, like materials, supply chain, carbon footprint etc. then that shows that they are aware and forthcoming about the impact of their business and that they even care enough to track it. Inaccessible sustainability information indicates that a company is trying to obscure or obfuscate it's processes and sustainability record, likely because there are elements to it that do not meet a high standard and might scare off a sustainability savvy customer, they are hoping that most consumers won't care, or care to check and verify, their info before shopping and so don't bother to report or present information.
2. Certifications.
This means that companies have done the work to have their business verified for their ethical/environmental standards. The company will have had to pay for a review by a recognised certification such as B-Corp, that certification will review whether they meet high standards of social and environmental practices within their business, which means there is evidenced work that has been done to actually verify and confirm that what a company says and does are aligned and are sustainable. It adds a layer of trust that helps easily communicate not only that a company is ethical/sustainable but that they want customers to know that they are.
3. Impact reporting.
This shows the organisation has an actual idea of the impact it is making in relation to its goals and that the organisation is open and transparent in its communication. Impact reports are a really great way of giving clear and concise information about a company and it's culture, it's aims/goals and what it feels like it is achieving as well as where it could be improving. It goes further to increase the transparency within a company and shows it is willing to communicate clearly with any data it has collected.
4. Advocacy.
If a company is making an effort to do advocacy work, especially for groups of people the company might be affecting then that shows the company is making an effort to do more than the bare minimum in having an impact on the world. Advocacy work can do so much to help disadvantaged groups, if organised and well planned, and it is important that businesses that hold any significant amount of power use that power to advocate for change, environmentally or socially. So if a company is partaking in advocacy work it shows a commitment to making changes to help those disadvantaged in the world and demonstrates a general sense of care for others which can reflect on their sustainable practices too.
5. People and the planet.
When assessing all of the above make sure that you are considering the company's impact on people and the planet, not one or the other. Making sustainable/ethical choices when consuming is not just about lowering your environmental impact but it is also about buying from companies that protect the people working within it's supply chain. If we want to make choices to save the planet we also need to make sure that our planet is one worth saving, where everyone is given the decency and dignity to live happy and fulfilling lives away from discrimination and exploitation. And in turn make sure that a company isn't just socially ethical but considers it's environmental impact too, people AND the planet, not one or the other.
Bonus point
A company admits where they could do better and share their goals and the steps they are taking to continue their sustainability practices. No one is perfect, we all have a long way to go before reaching a sustainable future. But if you can't acknowledge that you won't want to get better and improve. An admission of where a company falls short and what they need to do to make changes shows that there is a clear vision and plan in place as to how to improve
If you would like to see our sustainability red flags check out our blog here.
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