Sustainability is the trending topic of the 21st century. As more high street alternatives hit the market, providing eco-friendly dupes of our favourite products, going green has never been easier.
Whether you’re looking to cut down your plastic consumption in your food shop or aiming to shake up your eco-friendly beauty regime, finding affordable yet sustainable alternatives is a great step towards a zero-waste future. The question is, how do we decipher what is a sustainable product and what just looks like one? If you’re struggling to find a successful eco-dupe for your favourite household items, then look no further. We’re here to help.
Our eco-friendly guide is here to teach you what makes a product sustainable.
What Is A Sustainable Product?
To answer the question of ‘What Is A Sustainable Product?’ we must first define sustainability as a concept.
Put simply, sustainability is defined as the ability to maintain an outcome. In terms of the environment, this means the “avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”.
Sustainable manufacturing focuses on creating products that don’t directly harm the environment during production or consumption. In other words, a sustainable product is made out of renewable resources, meaning that it uses a small amount of energy and is easily disposed of.
(Picture Source: Harris Poll)
Sustainable manufacturing has become so popular that a recent poll found that 78% of people now actively search for/support sustainably manufactured products and a further 79% want their eco-friendly products to be plastic-free too!
What Makes A Product Sustainable?
One of the easiest ways to check if a product is sustainable before you buy is to check the label. Learning the eco-friendly signs and symbols to look out for on the packaging, as well as the nasties to avoid on the ingredient list is a simple step towards shopping green.
Product labels often tell us how the product was made, the ingredients that were used and the impact it has had on the environment. Here are some of the key questions to ask when looking for a sustainable product:
- Does it have a mark of approval from environmental protection organisations such as the World Fair Trade Organisation or the EPA? Can you see one of the cruelty-free logos below on your product?
- Was the product made from recyclable/biodegradable materials? Will this be an easy item to dispose of after use?
- Was the product ethically manufactured? Why not look into the business and see how they source and produce their items.
- Does this product have any nasties on the ingredient list? Look for synthetics, chemical plasticisers, phthalates, phosphates and glycerin, all common ingredients found in high street product lists and all derived from unsustainable sources.
Is It A Sustainable Business?
Sustainability comes in all shapes and forms, from environmental protection to ethical labour and economic practices. While taking your eco-friendly product at face value may be the easiest option, looking into the business’ general production process is the smartest way forward on your journey to answering the question of ‘What Is A Sustainable Product?’.
Currently, 86% of the 500 S&P Index companies publish sustainability and responsibility reports and that number is quickly growing. With a generation more focused on environmental sustainability than ever before, it has never been easier to look into your companies sustainable practices before purchasing your products.
Why Choose Bower For All Of Your Sustainable Purchases?
If you’re ready to start purchasing new sustainable alternatives to your favourite products, fear not. There are countless eco-friendly products just waiting to be discovered on Bower Collective.
Not only do we stock products with the most organic ingredient lists, but we also check for those unsustainable offenders so you don't have to.
We only sell products that are free from chemical plasticisers, synthetics, glycerin, phosphates and many more unsustainable nasties.
Enjoy shopping worry-free for our ethically sourced products that will leave your basket swimming in sustainability.