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4 Global Brands Turning Their Attention to Sustainability

  • Publish Date: Posted over 4 years ago

​As the spotlight continues to intensify on environmental issues, brands and companies across the globe are turning their attention to sustainability.

Here are some of the major international brands increasing their focus on sustainability, and how they’re going about it.

1. House of Holland

The fashion industry is constantly in the news when it comes to sustainability, with growing unease on ‘fast fashion’ brands with high product turnover and cheap prices. House of Holland, the label of fashion designer Henry Holland, has taken steps to address the issue within the industry by introducing a ‘swap shop’ at a recent sample sale.

Customers could part with their preloved House of Holland garments in exchange for a £5 credit note (per item) to be used against new purchases. And they could also swap other clothing for items in the swap shop - a way of prolonging the life of the pieces.

2. John Lewis

Department retailer John Lewis is trialling a sustainability scheme at its Oxford store in a bid to help customers reduce their waste and environmental impact.   Initiatives include stopping the sale of 5p carrier bags and introducing reusable packaging for click and collect orders - something the retailer believes could save 5 tonnes of plastic every year.

John Lewis is also incentivising loyalty cardholders to return used beauty product packaging and swapping preloved clothing with gift vouchers.

3. Tesco

Grocery giant Tesco has thrown down the gauntlet to its suppliers by threatening to withdraw products from its shelves if they contain too much unnecessary packaging.

The move follows the brand having already resolved to cut out plastic waste from its own product range by the end of next year.

4. Adidas

The sportswear giant has received praise for several environmentally-minded campaigns and has increased its usage of sustainable materials in a bid to reduce its waste output.

Key to the Adidas mission is thebrand’s use of recycled polyester - a move that the brand says will reduce its plastic usage in order to save the planet’s oceans. The intention is that the brand will use only recycled polyester in its products by 2024.

Brands and businesses can’t ignore sustainability

As consumers become more eco-aware, brands are now starting to understand the importance of sustainability.

In fact, over two thirds of businesses say they’re increasing sustainability spending by 2021, including 69% of brands improving manufacturing sustainability and 63% on equipment and buildings.

With mounting pressure across the globe on large companies and corporations, sustainability in the workplace has never been a hotter topic. As this shift in consciousness continues, recruiting for sustainability managers and roles becomes more and more important for the modern company.

Discover more about how Shirley Parsons can help to source for sustainability roles here