Real-world examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products

Examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products in 2024

Let’s start with what everyone wants: real brands, real tactics, and real results. These examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products span fashion, food, tech, and home goods, but the patterns are surprisingly similar: clear data, honest trade‑offs, and smart marketing.

Patagonia: Designing for repair, not replacement

If you’re looking for a best example of product longevity as a sustainability strategy, Patagonia is still the benchmark. Their Worn Wear program encourages customers to repair, resell, or trade in used gear instead of buying new.

Patagonia’s practices include:

• Building products with durable materials that can actually survive repair
• Publishing repair guides and running in‑store repair events
• Marketing campaigns that literally say, “Don’t Buy This Jacket,” urging customers to think before buying

From a green marketing perspective, this is one of the strongest examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products because the sustainability story is baked into the product experience. The company’s environmental and social responsibility work is documented in public benefit corporation reports and third‑party audits, which gives marketers credible proof points instead of fluffy claims.

For context on why durability and reuse matter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that materials management and waste significantly affect greenhouse gas emissions across the product lifecycle, from extraction to disposal (EPA). Designing for longer use directly hits that problem.

Apple: Public carbon footprints and product‑level climate targets

Apple offers one of the clearest tech‑sector examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products because it connects product design, supply chain, and marketing with hard numbers.

Key moves:

• Publishing product environmental reports for major devices, including estimated carbon footprint, recycled content, and energy use
• Committing to make every product carbon neutral by 2030 across its value chain, not just operations
• Designing hardware with higher recycled materials, like 100% recycled aluminum enclosures in many MacBooks and iPads

For marketers, Apple provides a strong example of how to talk about sustainability without drowning customers in jargon. They focus on a few simple metrics (like “X% recycled materials” or “carbon neutral shipping”) and back them up with detailed data for those who want to go deeper.

If you want to build your own product‑level metrics, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol offers internationally recognized guidance on measuring emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3 (ghgprotocol.org). Using a common framework makes your claims more credible and comparable.

Allbirds & Adidas: Collaborative low‑carbon footwear

The Allbirds x Adidas Futurecraft.Footprint shoe is a standout example of top examples of best practices for sustainable products in the footwear category. Instead of competing quietly, they published a low‑carbon sneaker with a verified footprint and shared their methods.

What makes this a strong example:

• Clear carbon labeling per pair of shoes
• Material swaps (like sugarcane‑based EVA foam) to reduce emissions without sacrificing performance
• Transparent storytelling about compromises, trade‑offs, and what still needs work

This collaboration shows how brands can market sustainability by sharing process, not perfection. It also illustrates a broader 2024–2025 trend: co‑opetition around climate, where rival brands work together on lower‑impact materials and manufacturing.

Loop & reusable packaging: Service models instead of single‑use

If you want an example of best practices for sustainable products that rethinks the entire business model, look at Loop, the reuse platform developed by TerraCycle.

Brands like Häagen‑Dazs, Tide, and Clorox partner with Loop to offer products in durable, refillable containers that customers return for cleaning and reuse. The product stays the same; the packaging system changes.

Why this matters for green marketing:

• You’re not just selling a product; you’re selling a service (access to the product) with reusable packaging designed to last
• You can tell a lifecycle story: fewer single‑use containers, lower waste, and often lower emissions over time
• It’s a tangible, easy‑to‑understand example of how design and logistics can support sustainability

This is one of the more interesting examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products because it pushes brands to think beyond “recyclable” and toward systems built around reuse.

Dr. Bronner’s: Radical ingredient transparency and certifications

In personal care, Dr. Bronner’s is a strong example of how to combine credible sourcing with bold, values‑driven marketing.

Their practices include:

• Organic and fair‑trade certified ingredients where possible
• Detailed sourcing stories by ingredient and region
• Third‑party certifications like USDA Organic and Fair for Life

Instead of vague claims like “clean” or “natural,” they lean on verifiable labels and long‑term partnerships with farming communities. For marketers, this is one of the best examples of how to avoid greenwashing: show your homework and let independent standards do some of the talking.

If you’re building similar claims, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program explains what organic labeling actually means and how it’s regulated (USDA Organic). Linking to or referencing recognized standards helps customers separate real examples of better practices from empty buzzwords.

IKEA: Circular design, take‑back programs, and material goals

IKEA has quietly become one of the most interesting examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products at scale.

Highlights:

• Public commitment to become a circular business by 2030, using only renewable or recycled materials
• Take‑back and resale programs in many markets, where customers return used furniture to be resold or recycled
• Flat‑pack design that reduces shipping emissions and warehouse space

IKEA’s sustainability strategy is tightly integrated with its business model: flat‑pack furniture means more efficient logistics; modular design supports repair and replacement of parts; take‑back programs keep materials in circulation.

From a marketing standpoint, they don’t just talk about global goals; they show customers local, practical options: buy‑back events, in‑store resale areas, and product labels highlighting renewable or recycled content.

Seventh Generation: Policy advocacy as part of the product story

Household cleaning brand Seventh Generation offers a different kind of example of best practices for sustainable products: they connect what’s in the bottle with public policy.

Their approach:

• Plant‑based formulas with clear ingredient disclosure
• Product claims aligned with third‑party standards (like EPA Safer Choice for some cleaners)
• Marketing that links everyday purchases to broader environmental and health issues, including climate and chemical safety

They have been vocal supporters of stronger chemical safety regulations, which gives their marketing a level of integrity that’s hard to fake. When your brand is pushing for stricter rules that will apply to everyone, customers tend to trust your claims more.

For context, the EPA Safer Choice program identifies products that meet strict criteria for safer ingredients (EPA Safer Choice). Using or referencing such programs is a practical way to anchor your product claims in external science.

B‑Corp brands: Governance baked into product and marketing

Sometimes the best examples of sustainable products aren’t about a single product at all, but about how the entire company is structured.

Certified B Corporations—like Ben & Jerry’s, Allbirds, and Patagonia—commit to considering social and environmental impact alongside profit. The certification process looks at supply chains, labor practices, governance, and community impact.

For green marketing, B‑Corp certification provides:

• A shorthand signal for customers who don’t have time to research every claim
• A framework to talk about sustainability as part of the company’s DNA, not just a feature of one product line
• A way to show progress over time, since scores are made public and recertification is required

This is a powerful example of top examples of best practices for sustainable products because it connects product design with corporate accountability. You’re not just saying “this bottle is better”; you’re saying “this business is built to be better.”

How to turn these real examples into your own best practices

Seeing examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products is useful. Turning them into your own roadmap is where the real value is. Across the brands above, a few patterns show up again and again:

1. Start with lifecycle thinking

The strongest examples include a clear understanding of where the product’s biggest impacts actually are: raw materials, manufacturing, transport, use phase, or end‑of‑life.

Practical moves:

• Commission a basic lifecycle assessment (LCA) or use sector benchmarks if a full LCA isn’t feasible yet
• Prioritize one or two hotspots where you can make the biggest improvement in the next 12–24 months
• Document your baseline so you can show progress, not just intention

2. Use third‑party standards and certifications

Real examples that customers trust almost always lean on external standards: organic, fair trade, B‑Corp, FSC, EPA Safer Choice, ENERGY STAR, and others. You don’t need them all; you need the ones that actually match your product and claims.

Practical moves:

• Pick certifications that are widely recognized in your category
• Align your product specs with those criteria early in development
• Build marketing around what the certification means in plain language, not just the logo

3. Make transparency a feature, not a footnote

The best examples of sustainable product marketing treat transparency as part of the value proposition.

That can mean:

• Publishing product‑level impact data, even if it’s not perfect yet
• Explaining trade‑offs honestly: “We chose recycled plastic here instead of glass because of shipping emissions.”
• Sharing your targets and timelines publicly, and updating customers on progress

Customers don’t expect you to be flawless. They do expect you to be honest.

4. Design marketing around behavior, not just beliefs

Most people say they care about the planet; far fewer change their habits. The most effective examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products lower the friction of doing the right thing.

Think about:

• Refill programs that are actually convenient
• Clear disposal instructions on‑pack (recycle, compost, return)
• Incentives like discounts for repairs, trade‑ins, or reuse

Your green marketing strategy should be about making better behavior the default, not the exception.

FAQ: Real examples and practical guidance

What are some real examples of best practices for sustainable products I can learn from?
Strong examples include Patagonia’s repair‑first model, Apple’s product‑level carbon reporting, Allbirds and Adidas’ low‑carbon footwear collaboration, Loop’s reusable packaging system, Dr. Bronner’s certified ethical sourcing, IKEA’s circular design and take‑back programs, and B‑Corp brands that bake accountability into governance.

Can a small brand realistically follow these examples of big‑name sustainable products?
Yes, but you don’t need their budget. Start with one or two practices that fit your scale: offer repairs, switch a key ingredient to a certified alternative, pilot a refill program with your top‑selling SKU, or publish a simple impact snapshot. The point is to create specific, verifiable improvements rather than broad, vague claims.

What is one example of a low‑effort, high‑impact change for greener products?
For many brands, packaging is the fastest win. Moving from mixed, hard‑to‑recycle materials to a single, widely recycled material (like certain types of cardboard or PET), and clearly labeling how to dispose of it, can cut waste and give you a clear marketing story without changing the core product.

How do I talk about sustainability without sounding like I’m greenwashing?
Anchor every claim in something verifiable: third‑party certifications, published metrics, or specific design choices. Avoid broad language like “eco‑friendly” by itself. Instead, say what you actually did: “Made with 70% recycled aluminum,” “Certified by EPA Safer Choice,” or “Designed for repair with spare parts available for 10 years.” The strongest examples of top examples of best practices for sustainable products are specific, modest, and backed by evidence.

Are there standards or guidelines for making environmental claims in marketing?
Yes. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publishes Green Guides to help marketers avoid deceptive environmental claims. While they’re currently under review for updates, they’re still a useful reference point for what regulators consider misleading. Pairing these guidelines with recognized standards like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and EPA programs will keep your sustainability messaging on much firmer ground.