I’ve talked a bit about how certification from B Lab isn’t necessarily the standard of environmental action that it used to be. As sustainability becomes more and more of a buzzword (and climate change becomes more and more of an emergency,) greenwashing runs rampant, and it can be frustrating to try and determine if brands are really committed.
There are of course still ways to tell if a business aligns with our values of both environmental and social sustainability, and I am constantly double-checking to make sure that we’re doing business for the good of people and the planet. To vet our suppliers, I usually follow this simple checklist of green flags that mean a company isn’t just dreaming of making an impact, they’re actually putting their money where their marketing is.
- They use sustainable packaging
- They have certifications in sustainability
- They handmake their products in small batches
- They are completely transparent about their environmental impact
Sustainable packaging and shipping
I look for brands that offset the carbon footprint of their shipping with carbon credits from companies like Clearloop or Grassroots Carbon.
Using recycled and recyclable packaging for the individual products is honestly bare minimum, and I prefer the option to go package-free.
Certifications
B-corporations aren’t all bad; many are truly making a difference. It’s often true, however, that if a B-corp is really legit, they’ll have more certifications than just the B-lab’s.
I look for things like Leaping Bunny, Women-Owned, Made Safe, and 1% for the Planet.
I also get products from smaller businesses that don’t have the resources or time to dedicate to getting fancy labels, and instead are doing every little thing possible to make their operations as eco-friendly as they can. This kind of effort is immediately obvious on the brand’s website, as they’ll discuss their personal journey with zero-waste lifestyles or they’ll have a dedicated page to detail the everyday actions they take to reduce their impact on the environment.
Handmade or Small-batch products
Like I said, I don’t just look for the big guys who have all those certifications and are making waves in the climate action scene. I love to see that a company hand-makes their products, especially in small batches. This reduces the resources used and ensures a high quality item I can be sure is safe and clean for you all.
I also try to get local items as much as possible. This keeps shipping emissions down and helps us give back to the economy that feeds us, so everything is a lot more circular.
Transparency
One thing that I always always want to see is an open, honest discussion of a company’s environmental impact.
All of our brands report on their sustainability efforts and goals, and many even include details about each ingredient in their products, so I know exactly what we’re getting into (and what’s getting into us!).
Transparency is something every single company can do, so we never compromise on it.
I can’t read people’s minds, so I watch our supplier’s actions very closely. If anything makes us doubt their role in doing business for good, I reevaluate our relationship with them ASAP.
Ethical consumption is near impossible to achieve in this climate, but that only means we need to try harder. I aim to keep some of the burden off your shoulders here at Life Unplastic, but I encourage you to follow your instincts and make your own judgements. If you want to know more about a product we sell, we include blurbs about the brand they come from at the bottom of every description on the webstore. I also encourage you to use this checklist to research anything you buy. Remember – every dollar you spend is a vote for the world you want to live in. Make it count!
PS: Make sure to follow our Instagram for introductions to a few of our favorite brands!