Do you sleep-shop by defaulting to your go-to brand when choosing a product? Unless a brand has a compelling point of difference, it can look like a sea of same. Assuming you have the time to explore and want to support a brand doing the right thing, you’d facing a tsunami of eco and sustainable labels on products because there is no global standardised labeling.
Target a department store chain in the US has created a classification to help people select (or deselect) brands based on 6 sustainability features. This is helpful considering there are close to 500 eco- and sustainable labels across 199 countries and 25 sectors.
People can look for the Target Zero icon in stores and online that points for products and packaging that are “designed to be refillable, reusable, or compostable, made from recycled content, or made from materials that reduce the use of plastic.” So far, the assortment is limited to Beauty, Personal Care and Household categories but there are plans to expand the assortment.
“By making it easier for our guests to identify which products are designed to reduce waste, Target Zero helps them make informed decisions about what they purchase and advances a collective impact across our brand partners, our product shelves, and within our homes and communities,” Amanda Nusz, the SVP of corporate responsibility and President of the Target Foundation, said in a statement.
This initiative promotes packaging innovation from brands like Burt’s Bees. This well-known skincare brand uses metal tins for its lip balms that are recyclable and made without single-use plastics, and exclusive to Target. PLUS is a first-of-its-kind body wash that eliminates excess water and waste in the form of a dehydrated, dissolvable square that transforms when you add water. Other brands include reel toilet rolls that is tree-free and made from bamboo paper and Everspring, Target’s own brand of household essentials made with biobased or recycled materials or natural fibers.
According to the EY Future Consumer Index, 84% of people say sustainability is important when making purchase decisions, but 47% say it costs too much to purchase sustainable products. Target is living up to its tagline ‘Expect More. Pay Less” by making sustainable products both accessible and affordable.
What are you doing to help your consumers understand your sustainability efforts on shelf or in their e-basket?
