With greenwashing at an all-time high and consumer trust at an all-time low, discover how real-life businesses across different industries are proving that real sustainability isn’t just about marketing; it’s about data, transparency, and long-term impact.
Keywords
From Volkswagen purposefully installing software to lower nitrogen oxides emissions only when the vehicle was undergoing testing to FIFA drastically underreporting carbon emissions in order to appear ‘carbon neutral’ to Shein inviting influencers to tour a fake warehouse to try counteracting claims of poor working conditions, it can be hard to know which businesses to trust.
As sustainability has become a priority for consumers, some companies have scrambled to showcase environmental efforts, sometimes without taking the time to make the efforts genuine or effective. This has led to an overwhelming sense of distrust about corporate environmental practices, particularly within younger generations; in fact, 88% of Gen Z consumers say they don’t trust brands’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) claims.
So, in a world of skepticism and mistrust, how can a business implement genuine, sustainable initiatives and communicate these efforts honestly to consumers without sacrificing their bottom line? Let’s take a look at a few companies that have managed to do so.
The global fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, and 92 million tonnes of textiles waste is produced every single year. This throwaway culture is only getting worse; the number of times a garment is worn before being discarded has declined by 36% in 15 years. Swedish clothing brand Asket has been on a mission to change that since its conception in 2015.
Asket’s business model rejects the traditional fast fashion calendar; instead of churning out seasonal collections, it offers a single, permanent collection of timeless, essential garments, minimizing waste and encouraging consumers to purchase high-quality, long-lasting clothing.
By calculating carbon emissions for their core products and expanding this analysis across their entire collection, Asket meticulously evaluates the environmental impact at each stage of a product’s lifecycle, including raw material extraction, processing, production, assembly, distribution, and end-of-life outcomes. This data-driven approach allows Asket to make precise adjustments during the design phase, such as substituting or eliminating components with an outsized environmental footprint, and empowers Asket customers to make informed, sustainable choices.
The company also actively reduces waste through initiatives like the Asket ReStore, an in-person resale and repair outlet that refurbishes and sells previously owned Asket garments, ensuring that clothing stays in circulation and avoids landfills or incineration.
What truly sets Asket apart is its radical transparency. For every garment, Asket provides detailed disclosures about its supply chain, environmental footprint, and cost structure. Consumers can access information on the factories and facilities involved in production, including details about average wages, working conditions, and shift lengths. By shedding light on these often-hidden aspects of the fashion industry, Asket fosters accountability and empowers consumers to make informed choices.
Asket’s philosophy, “The Pursuit of Less,” reflects a holistic approach to sustainability. By focusing on longevity, reducing resource extraction, and emphasizing the value of human labor, Asket demonstrates what genuine, impactful sustainability looks like in the fashion industry.
Toyota has long demonstrated a genuine commitment to sustainability. As early as 1992, Toyota introduced the Toyota Earth Charter, a foundational document outlining its environmental values.
Then, in 1997, Toyota became the first automaker to successfully mass-produce a hybrid-electric vehicle that combined a traditional internal combustion engine with an electric motor with the launch of the Toyota Prius. At a time when fuel efficiency and environmental impact were growing concerns, this product launch positioned the company as a pioneer in green technology long before competitors caught on.
Building on the Toyota Earth Charter, the company went on to launch the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, a comprehensive set of long-term global initiatives and specific benchmarks aimed at achieving carbon neutrality, reducing waste, and fostering a harmonious relationship between society and nature. While achieving full carbon neutrality by 2050 is ambitious, Toyota has already taken measurable steps in the right direction.
The company funds projects by The Nature Conservancy, including the restoration of the Colorado River Delta, and works with The Pollinator to restore pollinator-friendly land. Toyota also actively reduces resource consumption in its supply chain; in 2021, it reported reusing, recycling, or repurposing 93% of its waste.
Toyota also designs vehicles with recyclability in mind, ensuring that components like hybrid powertrains can be reconditioned and reused. Its European parts remanufacturing program takes back used parts, refurbishes them, and makes them available to customers at competitive prices. By reducing reliance on raw materials and incorporating recycled components, Toyota minimizes its ecological footprint throughout a vehicle's lifecycle.
The technology industry has a shockingly profound effect on the environment. E-waste is one of the fastest growing solid waste streams in the world, and in 2022, reached 62 million metric tons with less than a quarter of it being properly recycled.
Back Market, a leading marketplace for verified refurbished technology, tackles this problem head-on by doing away with the resource-intensive production of new electronics.
Manufacturing a single smartphone, for instance, generates an average of 87 kilograms of CO₂ emissions and requires 381 kilograms of raw materials. In contrast, refurbishing a smartphone dramatically reduces these figures, emitting just 7 kilograms of CO₂ and using 92% fewer raw materials.
By extending the lifecycle of electronic devices, Back Market significantly reduces environmental harm. In 2023 alone, the company prevented 1 million tons of CO₂ emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Back Market’s model also minimizes e-waste, one of the fastest-growing and most harmful waste streams globally. By refurbishing and reselling electronics, the company offers consumers high-quality, sustainable alternatives to buying new devices.
Back Market’s commitment to sustainability is reinforced by its status as a certified B Corporation. This designation, awarded by the non-profit B Lab, is given to companies meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corporations (or B Corps) must balance profit with purpose, considering the impact of their decisions on workers, customers, communities, and the environment. For Back Market, being a B Corp reflects its dedication to promoting a circular economy while fostering trust and accountability.
Sustainability claims are only as strong as the data that supports them. Without accurate, organized, and accessible data, brands struggle to substantiate their environmental claims, ensure responsible sourcing, or meet growing regulatory requirements. Transparent, well-structured product information enables companies to track the lifecycle of their materials, measure the environmental impact of their supply chains, and identify areas for improvement.
Companies can’t make informed decisions on where to cut excess waste, how to optimize logistics, or which areas of their supply chain need the most improvement if they aren’t monitoring, collecting, and managing all of that data. Historically, this has been a very manual, time-intensive process, but with the rise of artificial intelligence and automation, businesses can now analyze sustainability data at scale, predicting trends and implementing proactive strategies to drive further improvements.
Greenwashing has been a persistent issue across all industries as consumers have become more knowledgeable and scrutinous over time, and some businesses rush to meet these new expectations by cutting corners and exaggerating claims. In fact, 58% of C-suite executives admitted that their companies were guilty of greenwashing.
Without solid data to back up sustainability claims and initiatives, businesses risk losing consumer trust at a time when loyalty is the highest currency. By leveraging centralized product information management (PIM) systems, brands can ensure that sustainability data is not only accurate but also easily communicated across marketing, packaging, and compliance materials.
When sustainability becomes a business imperative, data is the backbone that allows brands to prove, improve, and communicate their environmental efforts effectively. Gathering and analyzing data from your supply chain, manufacturing processes, and product lifecycle enables you to create a clear, evidence-based picture of your sustainability efforts, which is crucial to building trust with consumers, stakeholders, and regulators.
Discover how to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing and build genuinely sustainable strategies that foster trust, align with regulations, and drive long-term business growth.
Learn what product bundling is and explore its various types. Discover how businesses can implement this strategy effectively and leverage PIM to...
Read moreUncover the deceptive tactics of greenwashing and how companies manipulate sustainability claims to appear more eco-friendly than they truly are....
Read moreThe latest analyst reports from IDC and Gartner are out, and Akeneo has been recognized as a leader in a number of different ways! From our...
Read more