Sustainability has been steadily gaining momentum across industries in recent years. However, the surge witnessed last year is set to continue into 2024.
Two-thirds of Gen Z shoppers are likely to buy products from a brand that has strong ethical and sustainable credentials - Statista
As the mindset of consumers has shifted, merchants are being held accountable for their sustainability and actions to minimise their carbon footprint. However, consumers are quick to identify any brands that are greenwashing.
Here are a few ways you can commit to sustainability as a business:
Sourcing Products and Partners
When seeking product suppliers, actively search for those who share your ethical values, verifying if they hold certifications like Fairtrade or Organic. Emphasising these aspects in the product descriptions, including details about materials and manufacturing processes, can establish transparency for your customers.
Utilise recognised logos and symbols alongside your call-to-actions to aid buyer decisions.
Pangaia is a great example of an eCommerce store that makes environmental choices that align with its mission, while being transparent with their customers to help educate them and allow them to make informed decisions on their purchases.
This consideration can extend to the selection of business partners, including the choice of hosting companies or platforms.
It's advisable to explore sustainable options that align with your environmental values. For instance, ANS has distinguished itself as the UK's first hosting company to achieve 100% carbon neutrality.
Eco-friendly Packaging
Consider looking at ways to reduce unnecessary waste throughout the product's journey, from production through to shipping.
80% of shoppers believed online shipments contained unneeded amounts of packaging. - Statista
As an eco-conscious shopper, nothing is worse than receiving an oversized parcel full of plastic filling for a tiny product that could have been sent in a box a fraction of the size. - Opt for using biodegradable or recycled materials and minimising your carbon footprint.
Smaller, more intuitive packaging means more items can fit into one vessel - a delivery van or shipping container. This means fewer trips are required to ship or deliver the product.
LimeLoop
LimeLoop is a company that focuses on sustainable solutions through reusable packaging. Replacing single-use packaging with efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly alternatives.
With B2B Store replenishment services to eCommerce sustainable and reusable packaging, aiming to streamline operations while reducing costs and minimising environmental footprints.
LimeLoop's service includes smart technology that enables real-time tracking of products and the calculation of environmental impact. They work with certified third parties to ensure the eco-friendliness of their packaging solutions.
Promoting Sustainable Consumption
Advising customers on how to make their purchases/products go further can help promote sustainable consumption. Such examples are washing instructions for clothes and the maintenance of washing machines, which help highlight environmentally friendly choices.
Consider these strategies to encourage eco-friendly practices among your customers:
- Promote how best to recycle products and packaging, making them accessible so that customers can quickly find relevant recycling points or services.
- Encouraging the second-hand market. For example, in the fashion and tech industry, consider adding a feature to your website that facilitates the resale of products, instead of customers using external platforms.
- Minimising waste by suggesting repair services.
- Conduct environmental awareness campaigns through your website's blog posts and content management system (CMS) to educate your customers further.
You can integrate some great third-party modules into your eCommerce store to identify ways consumers are being environmentally conscious with their choices, to business transparency through their ethics and actively reducing carbon emissions.
Here are some ways your business can get involved:
Incentivise
Treefo
We're partners with Feefo, who have joined with Ecologi to create a great programme called 'Treefo.' - Customers are encouraged to make authentic reviews with the incentive of making a positive impact and helping to fund tree-planting projects.
Businesses using Feefo are helping to build their green brand image and environmental impacts while improving their customer satisfaction through valuable feedback.
Businesses that have invested in Treefo have seen an increase of 2.9x in reviews collected.
Checkouts
Handprint
Handprint is a free plugin for online stores. This plugin supports various environmental causes with each sale, allowing customers to contribute to regenerating the planet through their purchases.
Handprint is compatible with major eCommerce platforms, and enhances customer loyalty by aligning brand values with positive environmental impact. It provides transparency through vetted causes and enables businesses to track and share their contributions through data and multimedia content.
Increase cart conversion by up to 20% by becoming a sustainable eCommerce brand - Handprint.tech
Transparency
Green Story
Green Story transforms product sustainability data into commercial results, offering tools for businesses to showcase their environmental performance in a credible and accessible way. The platform emphasises improved customer experience by effectively communicating businesses' green initiatives, boosting engagement and loyalty.
Green Story also aids businesses in navigating rapidly evolving market demands regarding decarbonisation and anti-green-washing legislation, positioning them as leaders in sustainability transparency.
The service includes life cycle assessments, supply chain management, footprint calculations, and sustainability reporting, trusted by over 150 leading brands globally.
Compare Ethics
Compare Ethics bridges retailers and regulators in the ESG compliance sector.
It offers services like the Gap Report to align with UK, EU, and USA regulations. Along with Impact Widgets to improve customer purchase transparency and Product Compliance Reports for accurate environmental claim sharing. Aiding businesses in complying with environmental regulations and avoiding greenwashing.
When deciding on sustainability, you must understand the environmental impacts throughout the production of your products. Eco-conscious customers can easily identify those who are greenwashing and those who are actively trying to reduce waste and their carbon footprint.
Looking to make your business more sustainable?
Phoebe Dodd
Designer & Content Creator
Phoebe is a Designer and Content Creator who has worked in design since 2019 and has been with Develo since 2020. Phoebe’s favourite aspect of Content Creation is creating engaging graphics and videos that blend storytelling and marketing. Her biggest achievement from working at Develo is enforcing humanised content in a B2B business that engages with our target audience. Outside of work, she can be found competing in cross country and athletics, or walking her Romanian rescue dog, Lyla.
Develo is a leading Magento agency and eCommerce web development company based in Birmingham, in the UK, serving clients globally since 2010. Our Blog covers topics around the array of services we offer including Magento web development, Hyvä themes development, Adobe Commerce, PunchOut catalogues, ERP integrations and much more. To speak to a friendly member of the team about your next project, contact us here.
