{"id":8896,"date":"2021-09-16T08:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T16:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rangeme.com\/blog\/?p=8896"},"modified":"2021-10-06T14:32:36","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T22:32:36","slug":"why-retailers-are-cracking-down-on-sustainability-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rangeme.com\/blog\/why-retailers-are-cracking-down-on-sustainability-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Retailers Are Cracking Down On Sustainability Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When my daughter was born 12 years ago, I started researching companies whose products didn\u2019t contain harmful ingredients; who used minimal packaging, especially plastic; who were doing the right things, like using regenerative agriculture, treating their workers well; and donating to causes that matter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID derailed many of us from these efforts as our personal health came first, but now we\u2019re starting to remember the causes that drive us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not alone, though as a Gen X-er I am not the typical generation to be considered a conscious consumer. According to an April 2021 survey<\/a> from the Pew Research Center, Millennials, closely followed by Gen Z, are pushing changes for improved sustainability: 71% of Millennials and 67% of Gen Z said climate should be a top priority to ensure a sustainable planet for future generations. Those figures dropped to 63% and 57% for Gen X and Baby Boomers respectively.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a recent study, Gen Z Shoppers Demand Sustainable Retail<\/em>,<\/a> from retail technology company First Insight in Warrendale, Pa., shows that Gen Z and Millennial consumers are most likely to make shopping choices based on values and principles, including environmental and social issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are brands out there making everything you can think of and doing it in a more sustainable way, but the retailers who carry these products\u2014and are carrying more and more of them\u2014are also becoming more sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Retailers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the original sustainability-focused grocery retailers in the U.S., Whole Foods<\/strong> has a manifesto<\/a> for what it won\u2019t accept. This includes a list of harmful ingredients it bans from food<\/a> and beauty<\/a> products it sells. It only carries responsibly caught seafood; supports regenerative agriculture and bee populations; and in April, launched Sourced for Good, a third-party program that supports responsible sourcing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n