Responsible Wood and PEFC amongst the first brands onboarded to Sustainable Choice platform.
It is no secret that consumer attitudes toward environmental sustainability have shifted dramatically in recent times, which in turn has influenced their behaviours when it comes to the brands they buy from. In fact, consumer research studies1 demonstrate that 61% of people want more information to help make better sustainable choices, and 84% say sustainability is important when making purchase decisions. (1IMB Institute for Business Value & National Federation Consumer Research Study, 2020, 28 countries, n=18,980)
At a time where sustainability claims and information are being made in marketing materials, on packaging and online, it is easy to become inundated by complex messaging and confusing claims from brands and businesses. It has never been more important for businesses to demonstrate tangible action and accountability through transparent and accessible communication.
Sustainable Choice is a new digital platform where brands and businesses can clearly communicate their sustainability credentials by self-reporting their tangible actions, measurable impact, and verifiable accreditations
“Sustainable Choice is designed to house the sustainability credentials and commitments of reputable brands Australians use every day,” says Founder and CEO Kiarne Treacy.
“Our platform allows businesses to transparently publish their sustainability roadmap, the actions they are taking to reduce their environmental impact and the traceability of products and materials. “
Central to Sustainable Choice’s proposition is an ability for brands to showcase end-to-end traceability across the entire production lifecycle in a way that is structured and easy to understand. Starting from how and where their materials are sourced, what ingredients are used, details on their distribution, and how to reuse, recycle, or thoughtfully dispose of products at the end of their use.
Partnering with a credible social enterprise like Responsible Wood makes perfect sense for Sustainable Choice because it is important to highlight that a brand’s sustainability journey begins with ensuring that their materials and suppliers are from certified, sustainably-managed forests.
Responsible Wood CEO, Simon Dorries, is delighted to join the Sustainable Choice platform.
“Responsible Wood manages the PEFC forest certification scheme in Australia, in addition to the Responsible Wood certification scheme, which is Sustainably Grown, Australian Made.”
“Responsible Wood certification is used right across the Australian forest products value chain and demonstrates to customers and buyers that timber and paper-based products are grown in sustainably-managed forests and manufactured, retailed and sold through Australian businesses.”
“PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, is the world’s largest forest certification system verifying that timber and paper-based products are traced from forests that support sustainable forest management and meet the needs of future generations.”
“We are delighted that Sustainable Choice will recognise PEFC and Responsible Wood certification across the Sustainable Choice network,” Mr Dorries said.
Thanks to this partnership, brands who hold Responsible Wood and PEFC certifications can prominently display their accreditation on their sustainability profiles in the form of a Responsible Wood and / or PEFC Certification label. Users can then easily link through to Responsible Wood and PEFC and learn more about what this means and which brands and products are also accredited, taking the guesswork out of everyday consumption.
“We built this platform to provide clear and accessible sustainability information and product traceability from brands, helping consumers to decode the environmental claims, and green symbols they see on packaging and labels every day,” says Kiarne. “By prominently displaying certifications like Responsible Wood and PEFC, we’re helping consumers differentiate between brands with credible third party qualifications and those which do not, keeping brands accountable when sharing their story.“
About Sustainable Choice
Sustainable Choice is a 100% independent digital destination where brands can communicate their sustainability commitments and support them by outlining their roadmap, progress, implementation and outcomes.
Sustainable Choice is here to transform sustainability communications that often have complex messaging, broad statements and ambiguous labels, by providing clear, accessible information that decodes marketing jargon. Sustainable Choice does this through its central sustainability platform that is easy to use and understand.
On this platform, businesses publish their environmental actions and impact with full transparency, and consumers have a single, go-to resource centre to help them make more informed sustainable choices.
