Supporting Sustainable Companies: How to Help Protect the Planet
As a consumer, you want what’s best for your family. Each time you support a company or brand that’s committed to creating sustainable products, you’re also supporting our planet’s future. Here are five questions to ask when researching sustainable companies.
1. Does the company – or its products – help or hurt the environment?
Sustainable companies make the future of the planet a priority, and that means constantly developing and implementing new ways to improve their impact on the environment. One example of sustainable innovation is Nice 'N CLEAN® SecureFLUSH™ Technology Flushable Wipes. Made with plant-based fibers that are 100% biodegradable [1], these new wipes break apart 5 times faster than the leading toilet paper and can be flushed up to 5 wipes at a time [2].
2. What does the company leave behind? Are they addressing their carbon footprint and waste generation?
Consumer demand for companies to step up and take responsibility for their manufacturing practices’ long-term effects on the planet is higher than ever. This has led to many environmental watchdog organizations creating and publishing lists of the most successful sustainable companies for people to reference when researching everything from big-ticket items like vehicles and airline reservations to their weekly grocery lists. One such list is the Corporate Knights' annual index of the world's most sustainable corporations. Take a look at the 2021 list – many of the names might pleasantly surprise you!
3. What is the company's ethical labor practices and sustainable sourcing stance?
Sustainable brands take the steps necessary to ensure their raw materials and products from other countries are produced or procured in ways that support the local labor force as well as avoid damaging the environment. Take a look at brand websites and look for such information as a Supplier Code of Conduct that lays out the company’s stance on things like fair treatment and non-discrimination when it comes to the workforce, as well as crop diversity and sustainability inclusion in their supply chain.
4. Does the company support the cause by sponsoring non-profit eco-conscious organizations?
Sustainable companies are proud of the company they keep so you’ll easily find information on their website and social media about their alignment with, corporate sponsorship of, and support for related eco-friendly and non-profit organizations. For example, the Nice 'N CLEAN® brand is an active sponsor of American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States, as well as Project Learning Tree, a nonprofit dedicated to environmental education of K-12 students.
5. Is the company transparent about their sustainability efforts? Do they publish an annual sustainability report?
As part of their commitment to business transparency, Nice-Pak Products, the parent company of Nice 'N CLEAN® Wipes, publishes a sustainability report that details their sustainability progress as well as areas for improvement. By creating and publishing sustainability reports, they can provide evidence and documentation regarding the inroads they’ve made in reaching their sustainability goals. This transparency is vital in not only continuing to hold these committed companies accountable, but also to show their competitors that it is also in their best interest to reevaluate their own products and manufacturing practices.
Being a sustainable shopper means taking lots of things into account, including your family’s needs, your lifestyle choices, and your budget. By educating yourself about your favorite brand’s stance on sustainability and its commitment to the planet, you’re adding a very important long-term concern to that list, one that will have a positive effect on your loved ones for years to come.
[1] When disposed of in the toilet.
[2] Safe for well-maintained sewer and septic systems. Not recommended for use with basement pump systems.
References:
- https://www.corporateknights.com/rankings/global-100-rankings/2021-global-100-rankings/2021-global-100-ranking/
- https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/558320098/nice-pak-american-forests-and-project-learning-tree-join-forces-in-reforestation-and-youth-education-efforts
- https://nicencleanwipes.com/pages/sustainability
- https://www.americanforests.org/
- https://www.plt.org/
