All brands will be thinking about transparency in 2021, from racial diversity and gender equity to supply chain and carbon footprint. They should, at least, if they are to remain competitive. Consumers don't trust brands anymore to tell the truth, and businesses must work harder to earn that trust.Transparency is a key principle in the world of sustainability. They are held to a higher standard than other industries. After running a sustainability company for ten years, there are a few things I can suggest to help consumer brands commit to transparency.It's not about what you doIt's impossible to be a sustainable small business and do everything. It is important to communicate not only the current actions, but also the future plans. Do not just list the what. Tell the why behind each action. What is the value of this sustainable effort to your brand and its ethos.It is not enough to simply claim that your website has a carbon-neutral shipping policy. This could be interpreted as greenwashing in our industry. It's using sustainability language and claims in marketing to make it appear more environmentally friendly, without supporting them with receipts. What does carbon neutral shipping look like for your company? What does carbon neutral shipping mean for your company? Customers won't be satisfied if you don't set realistic standards.Recognize Your Own TimelineIt's important to set a realistic timeline. Be open if you believe plastic-free will not be possible for your company in five years. Customers who are committed to sustainability in 2021 don't want lip service. Be as transparent as possible about the time it will take.Public claims are a great way of setting a goal and holding yourself accountable. But you cannot make empty promises. You can instill trust in your customer if you are certain that something is on your agenda but it is still a way off. Be open about the time it will take, what steps it will take, and admitting that the technology you require is not yet available. Transparency is about admitting what you want to do even though you don't know the timeframe.Educate your customersRepurpose was the first company to make compostable paper cups and plates for home use. It was hard to balance the need to innovate quickly with all the heavy lifting that we had to do to educate our customers.Because it is more expensive to produce and distribute sustainability brands, the price tends to be higher. This is because they take more care about environmental impact. However, most people don't realize this. Customers see your products on the shelves next to their conventional product performance and price; it's hard to compete and do everything.Recognize that you don't know everythingIt is important that we acknowledge when we don’t know something or openly correct ourselves when we do. We were informed a few years back that the molded fiber products we use to make plates and bowls contained harmful chemicals called PFAS (Per and polyfluoroalkyl compounds). PFAS is a group man-made chemicals used in a wide range of industries, including the United States. They have been around since the 1940s. They can remain in the environment for a long time and accumulate in the body. This can cause adverse health effects such as infertility or cancer.My immediate reaction was "How could we possibly not know these chemicals were in your products?" How can we be sustainable if we sell products containing harmful chemicals? We didn't know what these chemicals were or why they were in the products we sold. This is a fact that many people don't share. These chemicals were used by the entire sector of sustainable brands without knowing how dangerous they were. We started by removing PFAS completely, but we ended up with a substandard product. We searched for a greener alternative. This was a water-based, renewable alternative to PFAS. Our products are now free from PFAS.Validation OutsidePartnering with third-party organizations that can validate your claims is a great way to keep yourself accountable and build trust with customers. We make sure that Repurpose products are certified by BPI (Biodegradable Product Institute). Additionally, we work with CEH (Center for Environmental Health), which reviews and certifies brands and products to ensure that there are no toxic chemicals in them. This allows us to launch a new certification that guarantees that a product is free from PFAS.
