Say ‘no’ to waste: 3 tips for sustainable retail and the bottom line

Check out the official recap for photos, videos, articles, presentations and more from Retail’s BIG Show 2017 .

Check out the official recap for photos, videos, articles, presentations and more from Retail’s BIG Show 2017 .

Consumers used to be blissfully unaware of how their purchasing decisions impacted the environment and how much waste they produced by buying certain products as opposed to others. But today, more and more shoppers are well-informed about doing their part to reduce their footprints. Customers that are focused on social and environmental responsibility influence retailers to make decisions that are not only eco-friendly, but also help their bottom line.

Experts in sustainable business sat down at Retail’s BIG Show 2017 to discuss how retailers can integrate sustainability into their daily practices and “reduce, reuse and recycle” in a strategic way. The breakout session, led by Andrea Bell, director of insights at WGSN, included Marci Zaroff, founder of MetaWear and Under the Canopy; Daniel Silverstein, founder and creative director of zero waste daniel; and Lauren Singer, CEO of Trash is for Tossers and The Simply Co.

The panel agreed that if retailers are more transparent about where their products come from and how they are made, customers will be less inclined to buy into wasteful practices and support sustainability, a win-win for retail and the planet. Watch the session highlights to learn three key takeaways for combining sustainable practices and revenue-generating activities. 

Recycling, rebranded: A discussion on shopper demand for retail sustainability