The tea has been spilled – and now, the bag is biodegradable. As many newer, smaller brands are vocal environmental stewards, the pressure is on for longstanding conglomerates: Consumers are outright demanding they adopt more earth-conscious standards. Here are four corporate leaders in sustainable practices, and what the promo industry can learn by echoing their efforts.

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1. Patagonia Discourages Over-Buying

“Don’t buy too much from us”? What kind of marketing strategy is that? For Patagonia, it’s a sustainable one. Though its clothing line is already made of more than 70% recycled materials, Patagonia knows the best way to keep items from the landfill is not to overbuy in the first place. Patagonia has run ads encouraging people not to purchase apparel they don’t need – including theirs – starting way back in 2011: “We ask you to buy less and reflect before you spend a dime on this jacket or anything else,” the ad read in part. Patagonia also has a repair program, free in many cases, which encourages mending instead of spending when clothes begin to show their age. In addition, it sells Worn Wear, a.k.a. gently used Patagonia apparel, on its website as well as in some brick-and-mortar stores.

Promo payoff: Encourage clients to opt for higher-quality products that are tailored to end-users’ specific interests. When an end-user gets something they actually want, they’re more likely to keep it for the long haul – thus keeping it out of a landfill and increasing positive brand impressions.

2. Anheuser-Busch Cuts Water Use

With a stable of more than 100 brands in beverage and beyond, this beer behemoth wants sustainability to be in the water. While it’s already achieved a 25% decrease in water usage across 12 major breweries since 2012, the company now has its eye trained on a wider swath of environmental goals with a 2025 deadline. Among them: to purchase 100% of its electricity from renewable sources and for 100% of its packaging to be either returnable or comprised of at least 50% recycled material. Further, as part of its emergency drinking water program, the corporation has provided nearly 83 million cans of clean drinking water to communities affected by natural disasters and other crises.

Promo payoff: The apparel industry is notorious for adding to the water footprint of fashion. Promo can do its part by supporting water-conscious clothing: Organic cotton farming could save farmers the equivalent of 87,201 Olympic-size swimming pools of water in a single year, according to Pact Organic.

3. Unilever Reduces Reliance on Virgin Plastic

In 2020, Unilever pledged to reduce its usage of virgin plastics for its products, and it’s well on the way: Post-consumer recycled plastic now accounts for more than 10% of Unilever’s plastics footprint. As it works toward 100% by 2025, it is also testing a business model for refillable and reusable packaging in Mexico, Australia and other countries. One of its most famous lines, Dove, has moved to 100% recycled bottles across Europe and North America, and its Magnum Ice Cream is introducing 7 million ice cream tubs made from food-grade recycled plastic. On the no-plastic end, its brand Seventh Generation is sold in cardboard shell packs, and tea bags from PG Tips are now biodegradable.

Promo payoff: Packaging waste can be a major promo pickle. Opt for post-consumer or post-industrial recycled paper and cardboard over plastic, and pay attention to “recyclable” claims for boxes, mailers and packing materials. This term is often bandied about, while actually recycling the item can be difficult in areas with less access to these services.

4 Eileen Fisher Aims for Supply Chain Transparency

This high-end women’s clothing brand knows the road to greater transparency is paved with progress, not perfection. A February article in The New York Times lauded the brand for pointing out the “uncomfortable fact” that much of what is sold as organic cotton actually isn’t – and pledging instead to turn its attention to clearer tracing of its materials’ origins. As a certified B Corp, the apparel maker continues to take on Americans’ overstuffed closets. Since 2009, its takeback program has resold or revamped over 1.6 million of its own garments, according to the firm’s website. If an item is too damaged, the Eileen Fisher Renew team reinvents it into a limited-edition design, which can be purchased online.

Promo payoff: Though stipulations and standards vary, look for promo suppliers that have earned high marks from third-party sustainability certification outlets such as LEED or B Corp. You can find a list of some of the certifications available on our Promo for the Planet page.

Promo for the Planet is your destination for the latest news, biggest trends and best ideas to help build a more sustainable and socially-responsible industry.