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Welcome to the age of the ‘cyan shopper’. From rubbish-filled oceans to depleted forests, consumers have never been more aware of the world’s environmental issues – and they are clamouring for change. The concerns of these cyan shoppers (blue for the ocean, green for the forest) are increasingly driving purchasing decisions – forcing retailers to respond.

But the question is how. Springwise hosted the Sustainable Future Hub at World Retail Congress 2022. During the three-day event, we had the privilege to introduce four companies that have developed exactly the kind of practical solution that will help retailers live up to customer expectations and deliver against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and science-based targets.

Moreover, in our special report on the Future of the Sustainable Retail—which we produced in conjunction with the event—we highlighted some of the key trends disrupting the retail sector. The report highlights a broad range of retail innovations. Here are six of the best.

Radical transparency

There is no longer anywhere to hide. Consumers increasingly want to know where products have come from, and retailers need to know their impact. Marketing language is full of sustainability claims, but retailers and customers alike need to be able to cross-check the sustainability credentials of different brands. At Springwise, we’ve spotted many innovations that aim to boost transparency on sustainability issues.

PLATFORM HELPS FOOD BUSINESSES MONITOR THEIR CARBON EMISSIONS

Accurately determining the carbon footprint of a product over its lifecycle is a key challenge for businesses looking to make their operations more sustainable. As consumers demand increasingly accurate labelling of products, this requirement will grow. Startup Foodsteps was founded to help solve this problem, with a platform that allows businesses to accurately label the carbon footprint of their food products. This platform calculates environmental impacts across large and complex food operations. Businesses can also download carbon labels for use on product packaging, menus, and apps. ‘Food stories’ also show customers how sustainability improvements are being made for individual food items. Read more.

A PLATFORM HELPS BRANDS MINIMISE THEIR PLASTIC FOOTPRINT

At least 14 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year, and plastic accounts for 80 per cent of all marine debris. German startup CleanHub is taking a novel approach to the problem by connecting brands to their ‘plastic footprint’ – providing them with opportunities to minimise and mitigate the impact of their plastic products. CleanHub’s platform connects purchases of brands’ products with large-scale collection schemes in coastal areas. For every purchase from a brand partner, CleanHub will collect a set target of plastic before it reaches the ocean. Read more.

Modern mobility

Moving products from A to B often has a negative impact on the environment. And customer expectations for speedier deliveries are increasing the use of air freight and contributing to polluting ‘last-mile’ traffic in densely populated urban areas. At Springwise, we’re heartened to see all kinds of clever ideas for combatting this issue.

GERMAN DELIVERY SERVICE TACKLES EMISSION-HEAVY LAST-MILE DELIVERIES

Liefergrün is a sustainability focused last-mile shipping platform based in Germany. Its mission is to allow shoppers to buy things online without the environmental guilt of the additional carbon footprint caused by deliveries. The company estimates that it prevents the release of 420 grammes of carbon dioxide per delivery. To achieve this, the startup uses a fleet of cargo bikes and electric vehicles. Deliveries are adaptable based upon customer needs, with two hour and next day delivery available, as well as 24/7 real-time tracking via an app. Read more.

Born circular

A PLUGIN LETS CUSTOMERS SELL BACK THEIR OLD CLOTHES IN EXCHANGE FOR REAL-TIME CREDIT

Driven by a mission to make circularity a part of every purchase, UK startup Sellalong has developed software that makes it easy for consumers to re-sell their old clothes at the same time as they are shopping online for new ones. The plugin, which can be integrated into the apps and websites of retailers, presents customers with their previous purchases at the point of checkout. Each item is attached with a specific sell-back price, which the customer receives in the form of credit. The idea is to make circularity possible at the touch of a button, and to make it an inherent part of the purchasing process. Read more.

Easy activism

More than half of Americans are at least ‘moderately confident’ that people, working together, can affect what the local businesses in their community do about global warming. Retailers are uniquely positioned to support this behavioural change. And, at Springwise, we’re intrigued to see innovations that help brands build activism into their models.

A STARTUP USING OPEN BANKING TO CREATE A LOYALTY PROGRAMME FOR THE PLANET

Swedish fintech startup Gokind has set out to transform consumer awareness of brand sustainability. The company aims to encourage ethical and environmentally conscious decisions by reaching customers through something they use every single day – their bank account. The startup encourages consumers to buy from more ethical and eco-friendly companies through rewards and loyalty incentives – using open banking to help customers understand which brands have sustainable practices. Read more.

The joy of shopping

FASHION-AI EXPERT HELPS RETAILERS INSPIRE AND SERVE SHOPPERS

Recent years have witnessed two key retail trends: the move towards more personalised, curated customer offers, and pressure from stakeholders to tackle waste in the industry. UK-based Dressipi is working to tackle both issues with machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). The company’s co-founders were inspired by their own first-hand experience struggling to find the products they wanted to buy. Dressipi uses a combination of human style expertise and AI to develop high-quality product and brand data. The same predictive models and algorithms can also be used to forecast buying and merchandising decisions avoiding waste in the supply chain. Read more.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

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