We’re living in the world of the conscious consumer – one whose buying practices are driven by a commitment to making purchasing decisions that have a positive societal impact.
As such, corporate social responsibility is now at the heart of many businesses’ everyday operations.
But just how does an organization make an active commitment to combatting major world issues like global warming? With that in mind, here are four examples of eco-friendly excellence in business.
1. Lush
Founded in 1995, cosmetics retailer Lush was advocating for eco-friendly business practices long before it was fashionable.
Its products are 100% vegetarian, vegan and cruelty-free, and the majority have been designed to be solid, which allows them to be sold without packaging.
The company has masterminded pioneering products like the fizzing bath bomb, shower jellies, and solid shampoo bars. And its innovation and commitment to environmentally-friendly practice have resulted in co-founder Mark Constantine being named as one of London’s 1000 most influential People five times in the Environment and Business Brains categories.
2. Hotel Chocolat
Luxury chocolate brand Hotel Chocolat creates a wide range of chocolate-based products, from boxed chocolates to alcohol and beauty items.
Despite its reputation as a luxury retailer, the brand hasn’t been afraid to go green, modifying its packaging to meet a target of 100% of it being compostable by 2022 – at present, around 90% of its packaging is. The original target date was 2021, however, as they put it, “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”.
In addition, Hotel Chocolat is also supporting the Government’s commitment to making the UK Net Zero Carbon by 2050, with the company aiming to make its direct operations Net Zero Carbon by 2030.
3. Ecosia
Ecosia is a browser extension with an incredible USP – plant trees while you search the web. Users simply add it to their web browser and Ecosia use the profit made from web searches to plant trees across the globe.
To date, Ecosia has more than 15 million active users and has planted over 132 million trees across 9,000 planting sites. The company also publishes its monthly financial reports and tree planting receipts, which allows the public to hold them accountable.
4. Chem Dry
Huddersfield-based Chem Dry provides a service pretty much every household can benefit from, professional carpet and upholstery cleaning.
The Huddersfield franchise originally relied on word of mouth to grow its customer base. Fast forward to today, Chem Dry has expanded its services to include things like damage and disaster restoration and leather cleaning.
One of the things that have helped set it apart from many of its competitors is eco-friendly practices. Chem Dry uses 100 percent nontoxic products and green-certified cleaning processes, offering peace of mind to the conscious consumer.
What these four examples show is that no matter what size your business is or what industry it’s operating in, it is possible to make eco-friendly practice a core part of its operations and be successful in doing so.
Can you think of any examples of eco-friendly excellence in business? Let us know.
