Everything you do, make, and consume has a so-called “carbon footprint," or an impact on the environment. From the foods you eat to the energy you use, all of the systems we’ve had in place for generations have not been set up with the Earth’s wellbeing in mind. Yet when something is sustainable, it minimizes this impact through something that can be done again and again without depleting resources or compromising the future.

Everyone plays a part in emissions that are harmful to the planet, from the individual level up to corporations and governments. But a sustainable brand has an especially powerful responsibility to protect the Earth. Consumers look to brands to get a sense of identity, understand how their founders and employees think and feel, and shape their opinion of the world around them. When brands are pushing the morally right choice of living sustainably, the impact will trickle down and do more good than you may initially realize. This is why sustainable branding is so important. 

In addition to the far-reaching impact that sustainable branding has, the Earth needs us to act now to prevent natural disasters. As global temperatures continue to rise, the disaster and destruction that will come with rising sea levels and heat waves will be horrible. If you care about the environment you must know that every little bit counts. That’s why your brand should be prepared to make a switch today.

Perhaps not, but the business landscape is transitioning to include more eco-friendly packaging and products. More and more restaurants are replacing styrofoam and plastic to-go containers with recyclable and reusable boxes. This helps the environment by reducing waste, pollution, and littering. Circular-economy business models are gaining popularity, where the materials used are recycled and returned to companies, before going back to the customer, and so on in a circular motion that can continue forever (in other words, it’s sustainable). And consumer packaged goods brands are using better materials to package their coffee, cannabis, granola, and more. Through materials innovation, biodegradable and compostable packaging is already able to handle many of the same environments and freshness ratings as plastic alternatives and is only going to get better and better.

Consumers are also using their dollars to support brands that focus on sustainability from the ground up. Looking at some of the top global brands today, we can see the impact sustainable products and sustainable luxury brands have on business success. Allbirds, a clothing brand focused on comfort and performance, uses materials such as wool and tree fiber to minimize their footprint. Who Gives A Crap makes toilet paper from renewable bamboo and recycled paper. Imperfect Foods delivers “ugly” produce that would otherwise go unsold right to your door. Even the enormous and well-known yogurt brand Chobani uses 100% renewable energy and packaging that is recyclable, compostable, or made from recycled materials.