Nash + Banks<\/a>, a store that exclusively stocks ethically and sustainably produced items. She’s made a career out of vetting brands rigorously, and had more than a few tips to share on how we can see through what is simply marketing, and what is true commitment. Below, she answers all our question how to shop sustainably.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\nFirst off, how can we determine what is ethical or sustainable? Is there an industry
\nstandard?<\/h3>\n
The short answer is no. Not yet. But I think it\u2019s important to start by recognising where we sit at the moment concerning these goals and to view this as a process or journey. Right now, as a global community, we have created a largely unsustainable system that in many cases thrives on the exploitation of our most vulnerable communities. Having a clear line of sight into the ethical and sustainable qualifications that span all aspects of today\u2019s complicated supply chains is a complex undertaking – from resources to manufacturing to transportation and beyond.<\/p>\n
That being said, there are an increasing number of certifications and governing bodies working to create benchmarks across a wide range of these critical areas. They are many and varied and often specific to one area of a supply chain – for instance, forest stewardship, animal cruelty, fair trade, carbon emissions, textile standards, ethical employment etc. But through these and other certifications like B Corp – which considers the impact of a
\ncompany\u2019s decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment – we are moving closer to greater transparency and accountability for brands claiming the ethical and sustainable titles.<\/p>\n
Buying ethically or sustainably shouldn\u2019t be a chore. This is one of the core reasons that I launched Nash + Banks. Before including them in our collection, we research each brand in detail to learn more about their purpose, process, and products. We then have that information on every product page, making it easy for our community to get all the information about the product before buying it.<\/p>\n
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What do you look for when determining whether a product is ethical or sustainable? Are there any hallmarks?<\/h3>\n
Homework is my jam, so I spend quite a lot of time on About pages, FAQs and researching the details, materiality, and processes to substantiate a brand\u2019s claims. I start with what the company openly communicates about their products (and what they leave out). From there, I think it\u2019s important to talk directly with the founders to learn in more depth about their motivation, processes, certifications, and the challenges they face in achieving some of their sustainability or ethical goals. Once a brand has demonstrated transparency, accountability, and a genuine commitment to creating better products (even if not perfect yet), I drill down into each product to classify it correctly on the Nash + Banks website.<\/p>\n
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How can you tell if a brand is simply greenwashing?<\/h3>\n
The first thing that I\u2019m interested in when I come across a brand that is labelling itself as \u2018sustainable\u2019, \u2018ethical\u2019, \u2018green\u2019 etc., is to take a long, hard look at whether they are supporting these claims openly and transparently. Have they provided detail regarding their raw materials, production process, the country they manufacture in and the ethical standards and certifications they have in place? If not, why not? An immediate red flag for me is the use of terms like \u2018sustainable\u2019 (particularly in marketing and communications) with little to no information substantiating the claim. Brands that are quick to own a value, without making an effort to understand what it means, or how they will deliver against it now and in the future, are often greenwashing, content to profit off an ethos that they are not committed to.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve learnt from working with passionate founders in this space that creating a sustainable, ethical or zero-waste product is not an easy path. That it takes dedication and commitment, often at the expense of ease, scale or financial gain. The brands that achieve progress and innovation in this endeavour deserve our support.<\/p>\n
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How can the average consumer read between the lines?<\/h3>\n
In my experience, brands who genuinely care and are built on delivering against these values provide a lot of clear evidence, are transparent about their shortcomings and share their goals for the future.<\/p>\n
But when in doubt, jump on your search engine of choice (try Ecosia if you\u2019re looking to plant trees as you investigate), and go down the rabbit hole.<\/p>\n
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Is there any database or source of truth consumers can use to find accurate information about the products they buy?<\/h3>\n
There are a growing number of resources in this area. When curating for Nash + Banks or researching something for personal use, I tend to combine a mix of certifications, not-for profit benchmarks and journalists\/organisations who provide a sobering but realistic breakdown of the challenges and facts.<\/p>\n
Here are a few of my current go-to’s outside of specific certification websites (although this
\nlist continues to change as research, tech and resources evolve):<\/p>\n