How to tell if a brand loves people & the planet
Read about sustainability, research eco-friendly practices and don’t be afraid to ask questions
Text: Grace Ma
In the last decade, sustainability and eco-friendliness have become cool terms to bandy about in brand marketing. It is hugely profitable too. In Kantar’s 2020 Purpose in Asia report, 60% of respondents say that they would be happy to pay “a little more” for a brand with sustainability credentials. It is imperative that consumers learn to sieve through marketing spiels to discern the committed ones who walk the talk.
Susannah Jaffer, founder of Zerrin, a multi-label store for ethically-produced fashion and beauty labels, defines a sustainable brand as one that produces designs or products in a way that respects people and planet. “Sustainable fashion in itself could look like clothes using natural or recycled fabrics, giving back to communities or empowering artisan craft. They have a purpose beyond just profit, and look at their long-term impact as a company versus short-term gain.”
Stephanie Dickson, founder of conscious living platform Green Is The New Black, adds that such companies are “aware of their impact on the planet and people, and they take intentional action to reduce their footprint and look after the people along their supply chain.”
B Corp status
Checking accreditations is one way to assess a brand’s sustainability. Organic certifications include the Global Organic Textile Standard for fabrics and Ecocert for materials and ingredients. For beauty, USDA organic, ACO (Australian Certified Organic) and Leaping Bunny (certified cruelty-free) are good references. Other popular global accreditations include Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, The United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards and OEKO-TEX 100, which tests products for harmful or banned chemicals.
Don’t write off a brand just because it doesn’t have a certification though, says Jaffer. “Not all emerging labels and their suppliers or producers can get certified because it can cost a lot of money. If in doubt, reach out and ask them these questions over social media or email. Brands worth their sustainable salt will be transparent about their processes and provide honest, authentic information.”
Among corporations, the B Corporation (B Corp) certification is a credible stamp for those who want to go the extra mile in balancing purpose with profit.
To achieve B Corp status, each company has to complete a free but rigorous B Impact Assessment (BIA) and meet the legal requirements. If the company passes the 80-point bar of certification from the BIA, the B Lab team will review and validate these responses through the submission of confidential documents.
The BIA tool is constantly updated in accordance with the changing sustainability demands in the world. All certified companies must retake the test and verify their scores every three years. New benchmarks might be modified to suit the evolving needs of creating a sustainable future, for example in response to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
In Asia, B Corp companies include speciality coffee company Bettr Barista and communications company Vision Strategy Storytelling (VSStory) from Singapore as well as women’s resortwear label Beachgold (Indonesia), denim manufacturer Saitex International (Vietnam) and Danone Japan, which offers dairy and plant-based products.
Fair worker treatment practices
One ethical factor often overlooked by consumers and companies, especially in Asia where there is a higher concentration of less-developed countries with low GDP and cheap labour, is fair worker treatment practices, says Jacqui Hocking, CEO of VSStory and leader of the B Corp movement in Asia.
“Asian consumers don’t necessarily draw the connection between purchasing goods from companies that treat their workers fairly and benefits to their wellness. This consideration is more a form of moral imperative and obligation, and does not seem to gel well with the culture and philosophy of neo-capitalism pervasive across developing Asian countries.”
Researching and asking questions are key to knowing whether a brand is seriously committed to bettering communities and the environment or is simply greenwashing. If a brand only produces a small range of its entire production sustainably and still profiting off largely unsustainably made goods, or make sweeping statements for commercial gain, that should raise a red flag.
Dickson cites the example of H&M claiming to be the “world’s most transparent brand” when it topped Fashion Revolution’s 2020 transparency index, which ranks 250 of the biggest global fashion brands and retailers by how much they disclose about their suppliers, supply chain policies and practices, and social and environmental impact. “It's not about which brand does best, but specifically how much information they disclose. So H&M topping the list doesn’t mean they are the world’s most transparent brand, but that they shared the most information. So you can see how brands can confuse people. They use information in a way that supports the narrative they want to share and claiming to be better than they are — this is greenwashing.”
The #PayUp social media campaign has shown that activism can cause change. In this case, it is forcing big-name fashion brands, who had used Covid-19 as an excuse to go back on their order contracts, to pay the millions of workers affected by their unethical practices. So consumers serious about buying beneficial goods should do their homework to make a difference with their wallets.
Jaffer says, “Only by holding brands accountable and demanding more from them in terms of sustainability and social justice will the industry be spurred on to change. Our dollar is ultimately what keeps businesses going. If sustainability is something we make a push for, we can empower existing ethical businesses and motivate companies who aren’t getting it right to make it a priority to do something about it.”
