There has been a good development in the last number of years of organisations and consumers alike caring more about the environment, from applying sustainable resources to being much more mindful in regard to waste.
The most prominent of the consumer sustainability trends that has been observed lately is definitely linked to waste. Clients and brand names alike are becoming knowledgeable about what kind of effect throwaway products can actually have, particularly with regards to packaging, leading to a trend of more easily recyclable solutions. If one was to identify key trends in sustainability, they would come across a crucial instance in the large shift there has been in the last couple of years with regards to disposable plastic bags, with entities like Waitrose’s governance intending to fully eliminate the product and replace it with biodegradable alternatives or encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bag. With this sort of move becoming something that is actively backed by the authorities, seeking to reduce the waste quantities at a nationwide level, we can hope that other chains will conform to with similar projects.
One among the areas that has absolutely taken into consideration the importance of sustainability in business is that of power. While in the previous century we actually have been relying predominantly on fossil-based sources of power, we actually have recently grasped only how considerable an effect they can actually have on the environment, conducting numerous great energy service providers to gradually shift to much more sustainable practices. In the case of EDP’s activist shareholders, for example, there has been a strong assistance towards the use of renewable resources alternatively, with the business focusing on wind and sunlight as sources for a significant range of their operations. In any list of environmental trends one may discover, renewable energy would certainly be mentioned, as an amazing example of how a corporate can adapt to newer scientific and digital breakthroughs that allow to collaborate with the scene we live in rather than work against it.
An field which has observed a considerable consumer demand for sustainable products is the fashion sector. With patterns and concepts switching just so frequently, the last ten years has brought a trend of exceptionally high production amounts, with individuals buying more items but then ending up employing them just a couple of times before discarding them. Following the awareness of such a behaviour, the younger generations have actually initiated to try to purchase less pieces or ones that would be more versatile, or even look out for brands that would make use of sustainable practices or materials. Figures like Banana Republic’s parent company are aware of the connectivity between millennials and sustainable fashion, and actually have invested in the employment of alternative materials with lower environmental impacts compared to much more classic ones such as cotton. As potential consumers might be actively searching for this variety of functions, other brands will hopefully imitate projects of this variety.