How to Tell if a Product is Sustainable

What is the definition of sustainability? It has many aspects, but when speaking about the environment, sustainable efforts refer to the maintenance of our natural resources in order to maintain ecological balance. 

So how can you tell if a product is a sustainable option? Well for starters… 

Look at what it’s made from 

Items made up of locally sourced materials have less of an impact on the environment. This is because less transportation costs and emissions are required for production. 

Products made from reclaimed and reused materials are also higher in sustainability, since they require less resources and energy to be made. 

For the health of humans and the environment, sustainable products also tend to be non-toxic, organic and natural. 

Question it’s manufacturing ethics

The process in which it is made is just as important as the materials it is made with. Sustainable products protect people and our ecosystem, so they should uphold human and environmental rights alike. This means fair trade and labour regulations, as well as the ethics behind energy use and waste disposal.

Reflect on its intended lifecycle 

When sustainability is concerned, the entire lifecycle of a product must be considered. This includes what its made from to how it is disposed (or ideally, reused). Items that promote refill, reuse and a circular product lifecycle do not contribute to the single-use, disposable product habits that are environmentally and economically unsustainable.

Currently, most manufacturers rely on single-use plastics to keep costs low, but at nudemarket we are trying to challenge this single use lifestyle chain by working only with suppliers who are able to clean and reuse their containers, or take another measure to ensure the items don’t go directly to the landfill. 

“It has to change at the systems level. It’s not going to hit if the consumers have to bare the brunt of the responsibility and have to be stressed out about reusing and creating their own products.” - Margaret Taylor, Founder of nudemarket.