Today, no one doubts the importance of the concept of sustainability, understood as the characteristics of development that ensure the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. However, sustainable companies and products are often spoken about without any reference to what actually makes them sustainable.
According to a recent study by Deloitte, more and more consumers are adopting sustainable lifestyles, but at the same time they require more information, and a greater selection of affordable sustainable options. In fact, 40% of consumers indicate that they choose brands that have environmentally sustainable practices and/or values. This would have been an unthinkable figure just a few years ago, and the trend continues to increase.
It is no longer enough to simply say that a company or its products are sustainable. Consumers have begun to be informed in more detail about the products that they buy, for example, what is the responsible origin of the raw material, whether they are products made with natural, recycled, and/or biodegradable materials, or if renewable energies or circular economy processes are used in their manufacturing. This awareness has begun to be referred to as eco-wakening, a new consumer behaviour that is promoting sustainability in companies.