Sustainability in Retail - Measures to Take for Greater Environmental Awareness
The topic of sustainability is playing an increasingly important role. More and more customers are placing value on the fact that the products they buy are environmentally friendly and have no negative impact on the environment. For this reason, an increasing number of companies are implementing measures that promote environmental awareness. But what measures are retail companies taking to act more sustainably?
Table of Contents
↓ Measures for Greater Sustainability in Retail
↓ Sustainable Design in Retail: Measures for Energy Saving and Environmentally Friendly Furnishings
↓ Increasing Customer Awareness: Ways to Raise your Customers' Awareness of Sustainability
↓ Examples of Successful Sustainability Initiatives in the Retail Sector
↓ Future Trends and Developments in Sustainable Retail: Why Sustainability is Essential
↓ Frequently Asked Questions at a Glance
Fair Trade
Conservation of Resources
Reducing Packaging
The Importance of Sustainability in Retail
This also affects retail, as the demand from customers for it is increasing. Studies show that consumers are willing to pay more for sustainably produced products.
In retail, sustainability can mean, for example, that companies check their supply chains and focus on fair trade products. In addition, the avoidance of packaging and the reduction of plastic waste is becoming increasingly important. Many companies now rely on recyclable packaging or offer reusable packaging.
Overall, sustainability in retail is a challenge, but also an opportunity, to positively distinguish oneself as a company from the competition and to gain the trust of customers.
Measures for Greater Sustainability in Retail
Here are ways to act more sustainably in retail:
Here are ways to minimise or recycle packaging waste:
Ecological Packaging
People are increasingly focussing on ecological alternatives to plastic. Popular options include biodegradable packaging such as paper, cardboard and wood. These are more environmentally friendly and conserve resources during production.
Return Centres
In the retail sector, many companies rely on return centres for the environmentally friendly disposal of products. This contributes to the circular economy, as the collected materials are recycled or disposed of in an environmentally friendly way to prevent damage to the environment.
Customer Containers at the Fresh Food Counter
Many consumers bring their own containers to reduce plastic waste. It is up to the retailer to decide whether to allow this. It is important that hygiene regulations are adhered to. This allows customers to shop in a more environmentally conscious way, while retailers act in a flexible and customer-orientated manner.
Reusable Packaging
Retail companies promote sustainable shopping through reusable packaging such as bottles and cloth bags. Customers can actively support waste reduction by using these alternatives.
Double Packaging and Laminates
Avoidance of unnecessary double packaging and composite materials, as these are more difficult to recycle.
Don't Throw Away Old Things
Instead of throwing away surplus goods, use organisations such as the food bank.
Increasingly popular are bulk food shops, which offer a sustainable alternative to the traditional supermarket. Here, customers have the opportunity to buy food and other products without packaging by bringing their own containers. This not only saves on packaging waste, but also promotes conscious shopping and resource conservation.
To support the implementation of unpackaged shops, we offer innovative bulk food dispensers, including a dispenser with automatic filling. These solutions not only make shopping easier, but also allow for space-saving and hygienic storage of food. In the area of shelf organisation, we offer sustainable solutions, such as scanner rails made from recyclate.
Thanks to the combination of sustainable shop fittings and sustainable solutions such as recyclate rails, retailers can not only reduce their ecological footprint, but also offer their customers an environmentally friendly shopping experience. Investing in these sustainable concepts is therefore not only beneficial for the environment, but also for the economic success of the company.
Greenery
Roof greening, car park greening and insect houses are effective measures for promoting sustainability in retail. They create habitats for plants and animals, improve the microclimate and contribute to biodiversity.
Waste Separation
Waste separation is a simple, but effective way to protect the environment and conserve resources. By sorting waste, valuable materials can be recycled and environmental impact can be reduced.
Climate-friendly Coolants
Climate-friendly coolants such as propane and ammonia reduce CO2 emissions in refrigeration systems, promote climate protection and offer sustainable alternatives to conventional coolants.
E-car Charging Stations
Electric car charging stations are essential for the promotion of electromobility and the transition to a more sustainable transport world. Their expansion is crucial to support the use of electric vehicles and reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector.
Illumination
Switching from conventional light bulbs or halogen fluorescent tubes to long-life LEDs is an efficient way of reducing energy consumption. Energy consumption can also be optimised by integrating motion detectors.
Save Water
Saving water is crucial for the careful use of resources. Using rainwater or service water to irrigate plants is a sensible way to reduce water consumption and contribute to the sustainable use of this resource.
Renewable Energies
Renewable energies such as solar panels, heat pumps and heat recovery are sustainable solutions for reducing energy consumption and utilising environmentally friendly energy sources.
Office Supplies
Reduce paper consumption in the office and switch to recycled paper, use sustainable printers, send climate-neutral mail and use sustainable office supplies such as staplers without needles to improve the environmental footprint.
Ecological Product Development: The Importance of Retailers in Supporting Environmentally Conscious Products
In addition, retailers can influence product development by setting their own standards and rules for sustainability. By promoting sustainable methods in product development, such as the use of environmentally friendly materials and the reduction of packaging waste, they can help to ensure that ecologically conscious products appear on the market.
Retailers also have a significant role in the marketing and promotion of products. By emphasising certain products, offering special promotions or running targeted marketing campaigns, retailers can influence the demand for certain products. In this way, they can encourage producers to manufacture products that meet the needs of the retail trade.
Overall, due to their position within the supply chain and their close relationship with consumers, retailers have a significant influence on which products appear on the market and how they are designed.
Increasing Customer Awareness: Ways to Raise your Customers' Awareness of Sustainability
Such as the ecological footprint, the origin of raw materials and the use of recycled materials. This can be done through product information at the point of sale itself or on the company's website or in advertising materials.
Another approach is to encourage and reward active, environmentally-friendly behaviour. Retailers can create incentives to support their customers' green behaviour, such as through loyalty programmes, which reward the purchase of eco-friendly products, or promote reuse or recycling programmes.
Incorporating sustainability into the company's brand and marketing strategy can also help to further raise customer awareness. Retailers can highlight their efforts in environmental protection and sustainability and conduct targeted marketing campaigns to sensitise their customers to these topics.
In addition, retailers can support sustainable initiatives and projects together with their customers. This can involve organising events around the topic of sustainability, collaborating with non-profit organisations or participating in eco-friendly campaigns.
By providing information, promoting green behaviour, integrating sustainability into their brand and supporting sustainable initiatives together with their customers, retailers can contribute to shaping a greener future.
Such as the ecological footprint, the origin of raw materials and the use of recycled materials. This can be done through product information at the point of sale itself or on the company's website or in advertising materials.
Another approach is to encourage and reward active, environmentally-friendly behaviour. Retailers can create incentives to support their customers' green behaviour, such as through loyalty programmes, which reward the purchase of eco-friendly products, or promote reuse or recycling programmes.
Incorporating sustainability into the company's brand and marketing strategy can also help to further raise customer awareness. Retailers can highlight their efforts in environmental protection and sustainability and conduct targeted marketing campaigns to sensitise their customers to these topics.
In addition, retailers can support sustainable initiatives and projects together with their customers. This can involve organising events around the topic of sustainability, collaborating with non-profit organisations or participating in eco-friendly campaigns.
By providing information, promoting green behaviour, integrating sustainability into their brand and supporting sustainable initiatives together with their customers, retailers can contribute to shaping a greener future.
Examples of Successful Sustainability Initiatives in the Retail Sector
dm
Donating surplus goods: The drugstore regularly donates surplus goods to charitable organisations to reduce waste and support people in need
Ecological packaging: dm is increasingly focussing on recyclable and biodegradable packaging. In 2024, the company received the German Sustainability Award in the ‘Company: Consumer Goods Retail’
Rewe
Reduction of plastic packaging: Rewe initiates various campaigns to reduce plastic, such as the sale of unpackaged fruit and vegetables
Supporting regional and seasonal products: cooperating closely with local farmers and producers to minimise transport routes and ensure product freshness
Cooperation with environmental organisations: The food retailer works with various environmental organisations to promote sustainable practices along the entire supply chain
IKEA
Sustainable use of materials: IKEA uses sustainable materials such as recycled wood and plastic in many of its products
Commitment to energy efficiency: They have committed to being carbon neutral by 2030, including measures such as installing solar panels on store roofs and using LED lighting
Take-back offers: The furniture shop offers a take-back programme for old furniture to enable it to be recycled or reused
H&M
Clothing recycling: H&M collects old clothing in its shops to recycle and manufacture new products
Sustainable materials: using sustainably produced materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester
Supply chain transparency: publish information about its supply chain and endeavour to improve working conditions and environmental impact
Future Trends and Developments in Sustainable Retail: Why Sustainability is Essential
The reasons for the indispensability of sustainability in retail are manifold. On the one hand, consumers' environmental awareness is continuously increasing, and they are increasingly preferring products and brands that act in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner. A sustainable range and transparent information about sustainability measures can therefore become a competitive advantage and strengthen customer loyalty.
Frequently Asked Questions at a Glance
This includes reducing environmental pollution, promoting fair working conditions and using sustainable raw materials. Ultimately, it is about making a contribution to the preservation of the environment and community.
Furthermore, the retail sector can encourage its customers to make environmentally conscious decisions and offer resource-saving alternatives. Through these measures, the retail sector can make a positive contribution to the protection of the environment.
They can also favour local suppliers and aim to sell long-lasting, high-quality products. Through these measures, the retailer contributes to reducing environmental impact and assuming social responsibility.
By reducing plastic, supporting local producers, and providing training on sustainable consumption behaviour, they contribute to environmental conservation.