How to Strengthen Your Brand’s Sustainability Message in 3 Steps

The concept of sustainable fashion isn’t new, but it’s here to stay. This year, we’ve seen rapidly-growing consumer interest in a green lifestyle and increased demand for eco-friendly products. 

Interested in how you can tap into this growing movement? 

Keep reading to learn about the benefits of sustainable business practices and ways to bolster your brand's sustainability message.

Why should sustainability matter to you as a store owner?

At Printful, we realized early on that sustainability matters to our customers, our team, and of course, the planet. 

This understanding empowered us to explore more efficient fulfillment methods, find unconventional recycling solutions, launch new eco-friendly products, and much more. We’ve also put effort into creating educational content for our customers to answer all of their sustainability and responsibility-related questions.

But there’s so much information, it can be difficult to understand why your brand should even care about sustainability. And if it should, where to start?

To make the task easier for you, we’ve prepared this 3-step guide. It includes the most relevant and helpful content our in-house team of experts has created so far.

Why should you care? Spoiler alert: caring about sustainability is good for business. In 2022 alone, demand for eco-friendly products at Printful doubled compared to last year. 

So scale up your business by selling eco-friendly products, and learn how you can strengthen your brand’s sustainability message below.

Valuable read: What Is Sustainable Fashion and Can I Dress Cool While the Earth Is on Fire?

Step 1: Show your values

Start by shaping your brand values to build strong relationships with your customers and target the right audience. This one’s a breeze—as a Printful customer, you’ve already opted for a more sustainable business model as the basis for your brand.

By selecting Printful as your partner, you support on-demand manufacturing. That means that products are fulfilled only as the order is placed, eliminating overproduction and creating less waste.

In addition, 80% of orders are fulfilled and shipped locally. Not only does it allow for faster shipping times, but it also helps with reducing the CO₂ emissions produced when transporting orders. 

See? Your business already has these amazing practices by default without you having to lift a finger. Think about the additional brand values that resonate with you and your customer base, and you’re on your way.

Explore these resources to better understand how print-on-demand is a more sustainable business practice, and start communicating it to your customers:

• Sustainability and responsibility at Printful

• Working towards sustainable fashion in the print-on-demand industry

Step 2: Hone your messaging and be transparent

So it’s written on your website that you sell sustainable products and support good working conditions for people in the supply chain. That’s great, but don’t stop there.

These claims sound all too vague if you don’t share any proof to back them up. Have clear product descriptions that explain what the material is made of and where it’s coming from. Also, don’t forget to include information about applicable eco-friendly certificates.

And remember to avoid greenwashing at all costs. Need examples? For starters, don’t be the eco version of a snake oil salesman. If the product consists of 5% sustainable and 95% conventional materials, it’s not environmentally friendly. Only materials with substantial sustainable material content can qualify for your eco-collection. Be transparent about your parameters to measure this so that customers are aware.

Getting it right can be a challenging task to tackle, but we’ve narrowed down the most useful resources to make it easier for you:  

• Skip the guesswork and pick your products from our eco-friendly collection 

• Clear up any remaining product-related questions in our Help Center

• Avoid greenwashing in your eco-friendly marketing 

Step 3: Empower your customers to make a sustainable choice 

If you care about sustainability, chances are that your customers do too. Use this knowledge to your advantage and be the inspiration your customers are looking for. Provide guidelines, educate your community, and share handy tips and tricks. The options are endless, but here are some excellent talking points to try out.

Why it’s worth waiting for an on-demand product 

Fashion companies are often incentivized to overproduce. It’s estimated that 30% of clothing gets discarded without being sold. But with on-demand manufacturers like Printful, that’s never the case. We only fulfill products after an order is placed. It might take a bit more time for the parcel to arrive, but it’s worth the wait.

Show your customers how they can participate:

• Combat textile waste and contribute to a more sustainable future

Source: Printful

Know your product packaging

Survey results show that consumers indeed pay attention to eco-friendly products and sustainable packaging. However, there’s often a gap between general ideas and actual knowledge on the topic. 

For example, packaging is often what people get most vocal about. It’s common for buyers to demand compostable materials without understanding nuances like industrial or home composting, local recycling guidelines, and more.

So be the expert your customers are looking for. Explain what materials are used to package your products, and how to take care of recycling once the order reaches its final destination.

Here’s everything you need to know about Printful packaging and how to recycle it:

• Ins and outs of sustainable packaging  

• How your products are packaged

How to extend the life of your apparel

Caring for your garments is boring, but it’s probably the most impactful part of sustainable fashion.

There’s simply nothing kinder to the environment than wearing what you already have for as long as possible. That said, nobody likes pilled or ill-fitting clothing, and it’s often a side effect of regular washing.  

Normal wear and tear are expected, but remind your customers that proper garment care extends the lifetime of a product and reduces the electricity bill. 

Earn your customers’ trust with these practical tips:

• Printful product care instructions

Sharing is caring

I hope this article got your creative juices flowing, and you’re ready to improve your brand’s sustainability message and add more eco-friendly products to your store.

Do you have other ideas on how to connect with your customers on a deeper level? Share them in the comments below, and help the sustainability community grow. 

Curious to learn more? Keep reading:

• How to Start a Sustainable Fashion Brand

• Printful’s Sustainable Gift Guide

• Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas