Another week, and another sustainable marketing blog. This week, we talked a lot about sustainable products. Have you ever made a conscious effort to purchase products with specific sustainability certifications? This blog will take a deeper look into a few labels and products that are classified as being sustainable.

Bacardi Rum

According to an article written in Sustainable Brands, titled That’s the Spirit! Bacardi’s Biodegradable Bottle Latest Boon to Beverage Packaging, it talks about the new sustainable packaging Bacardi Rum and the rest of the products made by Bacardi will be packaged in starting in 2023. The bottle will biodegrade in a short 18 months, and will replace a whopping 3,000 tons of plastic that Bacardi currently produces. The article states “this isn’t about competitive advantage it’s about doing the right thing for the planet.

“This isn’t about competitive advantage it’s about doing the right thing for the planet.”

• This is a true sign that companies are seeing the consumer demand and effect that their products have on the planet. Bacardi is taking initiative to cut back on their plastic production to create products that will biodegrade in many different environments such as compost, soil, freshwater, and sea water.

Labels

Ever wondered what the labels “FairTrade,” or “Cradle to Cradle” mean? Let’s take a deeper look into what each label means and an example of a product that holds this label.

FairTrade

The FairTrade label is the most globally recognized ethical label. Purchasing a product with the FairTrade label support workers and farmers while they continue to improve not only their lives, but the lives of their communities. The products with this label meet the internationally agreed social, environmental and economic standards.

Products that bear the FairTrade label range from cotton to sugar, cocoa, gold, herbs/spices, quinoa, sports balls and so much more. One specific product that this blog will examine is the sports balls.

The sports balls that are made with the FairTrade label are created ensuring that the people in the various countries making each ball are making the legal minimum or reginal average wage at the time they first start. They also will gradually increase the wage and working conditions. Childcare centers are also built next to the factories so that women can bring their children to a location while they work.

Cradle to Cradle

A Cradle to Cradle certified product is globally recognized measure of safer, more sustainable products made for the circular economy. The products have been critiqued with a standard that sets the tone for other companies to create products that are good for people and the planet. There are five sustainability categories that products are critiqued on to qualify for this certification. They are:

• material health
• material reuse
• renewable energy and carbon management
• social fairness
• water stewardship

These categories determine whether the product meets the criteria to qualify for the Cradle to Cradle certification.

Method’s Pure Naked Moisturizing Body Wash qualifies. Method’s product was rated on the five components listed above. This product scored:

• material health – Platinum
• material reuse – Gold
• renewable energy and carbon management – Gold
• social fairness – Gold
• water stewardship – Gold

The product overall rated Gold, granting it Cradle to Cradle Certified.

Conclusion

Will you now go and look more closely at the products you buy? While purchasing products like this may come with a higher price tag, they are the products that are creating a brighter and better future. Stay tuned for my next sustainable marketing blog coming soon!