That situation really got me thinking about sustainable branding. Because brands can’t avoid the topic, as long as they use resources like paper, ink and energy. And since that client conversation, the stakes have only gone up.
Why you can’t just say “eco-friendly” anymore
From 27 September 2026, you won’t be able to slap “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” on your packaging, website or ads in the EU just because it sounds good. A new law, the Empowering Consumers Directive, bans vague environmental claims with no concrete numbers or certifications to back them up.
Make unproven claims anyway, and you risk fines of up to 4% of annual turnover. You can also be ordered to pull the advertising, and in many places that pressure comes not just from regulators but from your competitors. For a small business, that’s the more realistic risk.
The courts are already dealing with this. German drugstore chain dm can no longer call its own-brand products “climate neutral”, because that neutrality rested only on carbon offsets it had bought in.
The EU is leading the way here, but it’s not the only region tightening up:
- UK: The Competition and Markets Authority can now fine misleading green claims up to 10% of global turnover under its Green Claims Code, and the advertising regulator has already upheld complaints over unproven “eco” labels.
- New Zealand: The Commerce Commission prosecutes greenwashing under the Fair Trading Act, with fines up to NZ$600,000 per offence.
- US: There’s no single federal ban, but the Federal Trade Commission pursues deceptive environmental claims under its Green Guides.
So wherever you’re based, if you sell into these markets, this affects you.
And a 2020 study by the European Commission shows why these rules are needed:
- 53.3% of environmental claims checked were vague, misleading or unsubstantiated
- and 40% had no supporting evidence at all.
These new regulations might sound overwhelming at first. But for honest businesses, it’s good news. If you’re serious about operating sustainably and can prove it, you finally stand out from the ones who only pretend to.
Only claim what you can prove. It makes your brand more credible anyway.
In this article, I’ll walk you through 10 practical steps to build sustainability into your brand and talk about it without putting yourself at risk.
But first, let’s clear up what sustainable branding actually means.
What is sustainable branding?
Sustainable branding is an approach that puts a company’s environmental and social responsibility at the centre. It’s about communicating what you genuinely do for a more sustainable future, and backing it up.
More and more customers expect this. They want to support businesses that share their values and make a real effort, and they reward the ones they can trust with loyalty.
One thing we should be clear about is that sustainable branding isn’t greenwashing. You need to make sustainability a central part of your company’s ethos and day-to-day actions—not just your marketing strategy. A claim is only as strong as the proof you’ve got to back it up.
10 Practical steps to sustainable branding
As I mentioned before, most of these steps may require more than branding efforts. But they can all be integrated into your brand storytelling.
1. Build a timeless, well-designed brand identity
Had my client’s logo been built to last from the start, the rebrand wouldn’t have been necessary in the first place. A timeless design keeps you from throwing everything out every few years just because trends have changed.
It’s one of the most underrated levers for sustainable branding, and it’s absolutely doable to keep a brand going for decades and still feel fresh. Just look at brands like Rolex, Ford or Levi’s, who’ve done exactly that.
What you can do:
- Work with an experienced brand designer or agency. They know how to build an identity that can adapt and still last.
- Build it on your brand positioning and brand personality. A design that reflects both stays relevant longer.
- Look at what resonates with your target audience and build on that.
- Think of your identity as an adaptable system with several logo variations, a colour system and clear typography rules. That way, it works in any context and lasts longer.
- Skip short-lived trends. At its core, your design should be built on timeless elements that still work in ten years.
2. Opt for environmentally friendly production for your marketing materials
When it comes to packaging and print, you have plenty of ways to be more sustainable today. It’s good for the environment, but it increasingly pays off financially too.
If you ship goods to customers, you’re likely already paying packaging fees in many markets. Under the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR), which applies from 12 August 2026, those fees will increasingly depend on how recyclable your packaging is.
What you can do:
- Ask yourself first what you actually need. The most sustainable material is the kind you skip.
- Go digital where you can, and cut printed brand material altogether.
- Use eco-friendly printing inks like soy or algae ink.
- Choose biodegradable materials like cornstarch, bamboo or mushroom mycelium. But make sure they break down without harmful chemicals.
- Go for certified materials like FSC, PEFC or recycled stock.
3. Prioritise durable product and packaging design
When products break quickly, it’s bad for the planet and frustrating for your customers. Longer-lasting alternatives create less waste and build more trust. And here too, the EU is stepping in. From 27 September 2026, you’ll have to inform customers clearly about durability, repairability and how long you’ll support the software, before they buy.
There’s a business case too. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, only 14% of all plastics get collected for recycling. Around 95% of the material value of plastic packaging is lost to the economy after just one use, which equals a yearly loss of 80 to 120 billion US dollars. So, reuse and refill systems also make economic sense.
What you can do:
- Use more durable materials like metal, glass or sturdier plastics that wear out less quickly.
- Offer reuse or refills, like deodorant brand Fussy, which pairs a long-lasting case with affordable refills.
- Check whether your product works without packaging at all, like Lush, which sells a large share of its products “naked”.
- Make products repairable, for example, with replaceable parts like the Fairphone.
- Keep digital products supported with updates for a long time, instead of letting them age out on purpose.
- Offer a repair service or take-back programme, as Patagonia, The North Face and IKEA do.
4. Embrace local production and supply chains
Producing locally rather than importing from overseas almost always reduces your carbon footprint, because transport distances shrink and you’re more likely to use local materials.
But local doesn’t automatically mean greener. What counts is the full picture, for instance, whether your production runs on renewable energy or how the raw materials were grown or made.
What you can do:
- Source your materials locally to cut transport emissions.
- Keep your supply chain short and traceable.
- If local production isn’t possible, use lower-emission transport like rail.
5. Work with sustainable suppliers
If you want to act responsibly, that includes sourcing from responsible suppliers. Australian brand Boody, for example, makes basics from organically grown bamboo and watches working conditions closely across its whole supply chain.
Bamboo is actually a good example of why you have to look closely. The plant grows fast and without pesticides, but turning it into fabric often involves a lot of chemicals. So it’s important to know how a supplier produces it.
What you can do:
- Choose suppliers that align with your values and hold certifications like Fairtrade or GOTS.
- Set clear sustainability requirements—from eco-friendly materials to fair working conditions.
- Think about the whole supply chain, from sourcing to finished product.
- Review your suppliers regularly so they keep meeting your standards.
- Work closely with them. Develop sustainable products or packaging together where you can.
6. Join forces with other ethical brands
Co-branding and partnerships with like-minded companies are another route to more sustainability.
What you can do:
- Find partners who share your values and goals.
- Develop products together that you couldn’t manage alone. For example, Adidas and Allbirds, normally direct competitors, teamed up to build the Adizero x Allbirds, a running shoe with an especially low carbon footprint.
- Align your marketing with your partner to make joint initiatives visible.
- Partner with non-profits, like Patagonia did with 1% for the Planet.
7. Make your operations more resource-efficient
More sustainable processes cut your consumption directly, and that’s good for the planet and saves you money. For example, for most businesses, cutting energy costs by 20% is as good for the bottom line as growing turnover by 5%.
The physical savings, like lighting, heating and water, are the obvious ones. The digital side is easier to miss, because “digital” doesn’t automatically imply “green”.
But your web server, emails, cloud storage and streaming all use energy, and the data centres behind them already account for an estimated 1 to 1.5% of global electricity use. One email might seem insignificant, but they all add up.
What you can do:
- Run a paperless office with digital communication, file storage and invoicing.
- Make recycling easy, with the right bins and a bit of guidance for the team.
- Optimise your energy use with LED lighting and motion sensors.
- Cut water use with efficient fittings and deal with repairs quickly.
- Donate or recycle what you retire, like old office furniture.
- Keep your branded website lean. A cleanly built site uses less server energy, loads quicker and converts better. Clean code, a solid backend, fewer fonts and lighter file formats like SVG or WebP all help.
- Clear out digital clutter. Old files, unused inboxes and newsletters nobody reads all cost storage and energy.
- Use AI deliberately. Generating AI images and video, in particular, is energy-intensive. Use it where it helps.
8. Say what you can prove
“Eco-friendly” doesn’t tell your customer much. “Our product is made from 30% recycled plastic” is more specific, and you can back it up. That’s the difference that matters—and from September 2026 it’ll be the law.
Here’s how to phrase your brand messaging while staying on the safe side:
- Make every claim specific and verifiable. Give a number, a material or a certification instead of a vague claim.
- Refer to the specific product or step, not vaguely to “the brand”.
- Don’t use self-invented sustainability labels. Only independently verified labels like Fairtrade or GOTS are allowed.
- Be especially careful with the word “climate neutral”. If that neutrality only comes from buying carbon credits while your product still emits, the term will be banned from September 2026, even for certified projects. You can still offset, you just can’t sell it as neutrality.
- Think about social claims too. Phrases like “fair wages” or “fairly made” will need the same proof from September 2026, for example, through a label or a supply-chain audit.
9. Foster a sustainable brand culture
A sustainable brand culture makes sure your values don’t just sit on the website but show up in day-to-day decision-making.
For small brands, that culture is often simply you. What you do and model is the culture.
Once a team grows around you, you can shape it deliberately.
What you can do:
- Start with yourself. If you live sustainably, it carries over to your team. A culture that’s only claimed outwardly is spotted by the team first.
- Make joining in easy rather than a duty. It can be small things, like offering tap water instead of bottles or a contribution towards a monthly train ticket.
- Involve your customers where it fits your offering. That might be a discount for bringing a reusable bag, or sending invoices digitally instead of printing them.
10. Measure and improve your sustainability performance
You can’t improve or prove anything you don’t measure, and you can only talk specifics once you know your numbers, so:
- Set yourself concrete, measurable goals with a date, not just “become more sustainable”.
- Take stock honestly and regularly. Where do you stand now, and what has changed since last time?
- Make a note of anything you can prove. You’ll need that evidence the moment you advertise with it.
- A certification like B Corp gives you a clear framework, but it’s not essential.
The future of sustainable branding
With everything going on in the world right now, it can feel like sustainability has slipped down the list. Wars, cost-of-living and political uncertainty, it’s easy to see why. But I still think it should matter as much as ever. And I believe this is where brands can step in and act, often faster than the law requires.
Because despite everything, the demand hasn’t gone away. Sustainability just stopped being a niche topic. More and more people look for products that are better for the planet. Younger buyers care most, though the picture is shifting: as living costs bite, many of them now expect sustainability to be the standard rather than a premium they pay extra for.
The responsibility is shifting
For years, the responsibility for all this sat with the consumer. You were supposed to pick the right product, recycle it correctly and find the “green” option. The problem is that nobody can fact-check hundreds of claims while they shop. I can tell you that firsthand. I almost gave up at one point, and I barely shop anymore because I’m so overwhelmed by it all.
That’s what the new rules change. The burden shifts from the consumer to the company that has to prove what it says.
So the question is no longer whether you talk about sustainability. It’s whether you can back it up. The brands that take it seriously and get specific will win. The ones that stick to nice words will fall behind, and now they risk legal trouble too.
The most honest version of sustainable branding
There’s another point to all of this. The best choice for the environment is usually to produce less. That could mean one less rebrand or campaign, or just not showing up unless you’ve got something to add. That’s fewer things to ship and justify. I know, it’s a tough sell, because capitalism runs on churning out more. But it’s the most honest version of sustainable branding there is—and something worth considering.
There’s a trap on the other side, though. Some businesses get so nervous about getting it wrong that they go quiet about sustainability altogether, even when they’re genuinely doing the work. That’s no better, because then you give away trust you’ve actually earned. And keeping it from your customers isn’t really fair to them either.
The way through is to stay specific. Show what you actually do, and let that speak.
Brands that do this well
Here are a few brands worth looking at for inspiration, and what each one gets right:
- Vitsœ has sold the same modular shelving system, the 606, since the 1960s. You add to it instead of replacing it, and they’ll buy back pieces you no longer need.
- Veja publishes how its sneakers are made and what they cost to produce, and skips paid advertising entirely so the money goes into materials instead.
- Freitag, the Swiss brand, has made bags from used truck tarpaulins since the 1990s, so every piece is one of a kind.
- Riese & Müller designs its e-bikes to be repaired by integrating modular parts, making spare parts available and providing things like a repair kit so you can fix a torn cover instead of replacing it.
- Vaude, the German outdoor brand, publishes a detailed sustainability report every year and makes its supply chain traceable.
- Oatly turns the climate case into something funny and rebellious. The carbon footprint is printed on the carton, and the voice on the packaging and ads is self-aware enough that people want to read it.
Where does that leave you?
Sustainable branding is both possible and necessary. You can stand up for sustainability without weakening your brand. If anything, it makes it stronger.
But the truth is, there’s technically no such thing as “sustainable branding” you can add on from the outside. Branding only ever makes visible what’s already there. If the substance isn’t in your operations and your beliefs, no amount of clever messaging will hold up—especially not under the new rules and more informed consumers.
What you choose to highlight ultimately comes back to your brand positioning, which determines your place in the market. Because branding, done properly, goes deeper than most people think.
The newer regulations may look like a hurdle at first. But really, they clear the field. Anyone selling nothing but nice words will struggle, while the brands that can back it up—like many of my clients—finally get to stand out. So, for a small, honest brand, stricter laws around sustainable branding are good news.
What does that mean for you? Just start somewhere. Pick the one step from this list that best fits you, and build from there. You don’t have to be perfect. Just be honest.
If you enjoyed this article, take a look at my piece on brand storytelling. It’ll show you how to build a story around your sustainability work that people actually remember.
References
Jennifer Elks. Sustainable Brands. Havas: ‘Smarter’ Consumers Will Significantly Alter Economic Models and the Role of Brands.
Title image: Mockup via Mockupcloud (affiliate link)
