The latest ways brands are supporting a shift toward sustainable consumption, and best practices for brands aiming to encourage more conscious consumer behavior and lifestyles
“This conversation is great, but it’s too polite! Where is the sense of urgency in the room?” During our most recent event at Fashion for Good, themed Power to the Consumer, one woman called us out: “I’ve heard this conversation before, but nothing seems to change! What can we do?” Lady, we hear you! This is exactly why we formed the True Fashion Collective. We want to bridge the gap between niche sustainable fashion enthusiasts and mainstream audiences because we too fear the urgency around this topic is fading. Read More...
On its quest to create a kinder, healthier world — one snack at a time — the KIND Foundation, a nonprofit established by KIND Snacks, has launched a $20 million, multi-year initiative to inspire meaningful interactions between kids across the world and foster empathy. Empatico is a free online learning tool that enables students to practice communication and leadership skills needed in a divided country and interdependent world. Read More...
Good for your health, good for the environment, good for the future. These common themes have consumers embracing trends toward products that are responsibly sourced and manufactured. As with many things, consumers hold the key. And for products derived from the forest, the reality is no different. Read More...
News Deeply, in partnership with Sustainable Brands, has produced a series of profiles looking at how brands are tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. The goal is to examine trends and gather insights from a new wave of corporate citizenship – in an era when the private sector is increasingly expected to play a positive role in improving our lives and societies. This is the 13th article in the series. Read More...
North Americans love to celebrate Halloween — from trick-or-treating to costume parties to haunted houses, there is no doubt a Halloween frenzy takes over even before October hits. In fact, 50 percent of Americans report Halloween is their favorite holiday. However, purchasing new costumes, candy and décorations for the whole family can quickly add up. The National Retail Federation reported that in 2017, Americans are predicted to spend an average $86.13 each on Halloween costumes, décor and candy, collectively spending $9.1 billion on Halloween-related purchases. Read More...
Flowing through south-central British Columbia is a crisp river, idyllically flanked by black cliffs. But in the 1970s, the clear water of the Thompson River took on a brown hue and bubbled with foam. Rocks were covered with a thick slime. Area leaders grew concerned that a harmful algal bloom might be to blame, which had potential to harm ecology, area residents and the river’s 24 species of fish, including salmon and rainbow trout. An investigation began into the effects of industrial and municipal discharge – particularly from the Domtar’s Kamloops pulp mill and the City of Kamloops. Read More...
Panera Bread has established itself as a champion of the ‘clean food’ movement, throwing its weight behind efforts to improve industry transparency and deliver ‘food as it should be.’ Building on its Kids Meal Promise, the restaurant chain has announced a new approach to kids food. Children can now choose almost any item on the Panera menu as a smaller sized entrée, resulting in more than 250 menu combinations. Read More...
A new survey from The Climate Group and change agency Futerra has revealed that a majority of people globally are optimistic about our ability to address climate change, with 64 percent of global citizens believing that climate change can be addressed if action is taken now. Read More...
News Deeply, in partnership with Sustainable Brands, has produced a series of profiles looking at how brands are tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. The goal is to examine trends and gather insights from a new wave of corporate citizenship – in an era when the private sector is increasingly expected to play a positive role in improving our lives and societies. This is the 12th article in the series. Read More...
The Natural Resources Defense Council and Ad Council today launched the second phase of their Save The Food national public service campaign, aimed at combatting America’s food waste problem from its largest source — consumers. In doing so, they seek to reduce the massive amount of money, water and energy that is wasted along with it. Read More...
The World Wildlife Fund has published a new report, Eating for 2 Degrees — New and Updated Livewell Plates, which outlines how simple steps, such as reducing red meat consumption, could help to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Read More...
In spite of a chaotic political arena, a majority of Americans share the view that The Good Life is defined by connections to people and planet more than by material wealth and consumption. Furthermore, Americans are looking to brands to take the lead in showing them how they can make a more fulfilling life according to a US study of 1,000 adults 18+ conducted in April 2017. The Enabling the Good Life Report from Sustainable Brands and Harris Poll released today shows the dramatic shift in American attitudes and reflects a gap between people’s new aspirations and the ways business responds. Read More...
With Earth Day 2017 quickly fading in the rearview mirror, I’m reminded of the challenge we face every other day of the year: maintaining high awareness and action on sustainability issues. Government agencies and nonprofits have traditionally shouldered the greatest responsibility for year-round efforts aimed at influencing behaviors that benefit individuals and society. But a growing number of forward-thinking businesses and brands are beginning to invest in the kind of genuine behavior change programs known as “social marketing” – or, when done by a corporation, “corporate social marketing.” Read More...
Seventy-five million people work directly in the fashion and textiles industry. Many are subject to exploitation; verbal and physical abuse, unsafe working conditions and poor pay. While some progress has been made since the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in 2013, which killed 1,138 people, there is still a lot to be done. Read More...
Walk to work. Recycle your aluminum cans. Remember your reusable shopping bags. These modern-day sustainability mantras help consumers take small steps every day to lower their environmental footprint, keeping plastics out of the oceans and carbon emissions down. But have we considered the footprint of our clothing — one of the biggest polluters in the world? Read More...
Cleaning up supply chains and designing impacts out of products through the application of circular principles are essential components of reducing waste, but a more holistic approach to the problem of waste is needed. Consumers are increasingly educated on matters related to sustainability and recycling is more prevalent now than ever, yet litter continues to be a major issue across the globe. To initiate sustainable behavior change, the nonprofit Keep America Beautiful and the UK Government unveiled new litter strategies. Read More...
Obesity, mental health problems, air and noise pollution, heat stress and social exclusion — these are just a few of the health and social challenges Europeans face today. But according to a new report released by Friends of the Earth in conjunction with the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), increased exposure to nature and green space could help improve both physical and mental health. Read More...
Many businesses measure growth by selling more stuff to more people, and consumer markets are expected to expand in the decades ahead. The world is on pace to exceed 9.5 billion people by 2050, with far fewer living in poverty than today. Thanks to the rapid industrialization of developing countries including China, Brazil and India, 3 billion people are projected to join the global middle class in the next 15 years alone. These demographic shifts represent both a human development victory and an enormous business opportunity for those companies positioning to meet the needs of added consumers. Read More...
This week, sustainable menswear brand Outerknown launched #ITSNOTOK, an evergreen giveback program designed to bring awareness to environmental issues – particularly the declining health of our oceans, mostly due to pollution – all over the world. #ITSNOTOK is a call to action to consumers to become part of the solution, rather than the problem, by helping to clean up the oceans. Read More...
Installing more efficient equipment is often at the forefront of an energy manager’s mind when it comes to driving down carbon emissions, but even the most energy-efficient kit still requires human involvement. Making that link, and understanding how people’s behaviour impacts on technology outputs, is crucial if building management systems are to be optimised. This is where carbon psychology can help. It’s a technique that can be used by companies to understand the drivers behind staff behaviour change and from this, develop strategies to reduce energy consumption. Read More...