Customers are becoming increasingly inclined to pay more for the reassurance of sustainable practices, with two in five Australian consumers willing to pay more for ethical and sustainable products.
Are you interested in sustainability and reducing your business’s environmental impact? If so, then investing in an environmental certification for your products may benefit you. Doing so can help you determine how to track success and display your efforts to your customers.
Keep reading for a rundown of some of the key benefits of an environmental certification for your products.
What Is Environmental Certification?
An environmental certification is conducted by an ISO accredited auditor who assesses the factory where your product is manufactured. This includes a review of relevant licences and certifications and details of the factory’s environmental policies including waste management and documentation. As well as chemical handling and the resource consumption of the factory during the manufacturing process.
The assessor will provide the audit report and Azolla will certify your product after assessing the following:
- Your product’s manufacturer/factory complies with the criteria of the assessment
- Any claims made about your sustainability are validated
- Your products manufacturer/factory meets the standards set within your industry
After being certified, your business will need to renew this certification each year. This is to ensure standards are being maintained and improvements are continuing to be made.
Environmental Certification Benefits for Your Business
Any business that works to be more ethical and sustainable is making an effort to be better for the planet. Beyond that, having an authorised environmental auditor verify your manufacturers sustainability also provides a range of business benefits.
1. Increased Public Trust and Credibility
When a company has environmental management system certification, it signals to customers that it cares about people and the environment. Younger generations are placing a lot more value on sustainability with around 75% of millennials considering sustainability before making a purchase.
Environmental certification will gravitate new markets toward your business. As an ethical brand, they'll be more likely to buy from you than your competitors.
2. Improved Communication and Branding
After your product is environmentally certified, you can use this in any marketing and promotional material. This will help your business stand out as a leader in terms of sustainability.
Being included in databases which highlight environmentally focused business allow new markets to find your brand. Every year, more people are considering the importance of sustainability, so this will help your company grow in the future.
3. Healthier Work Environment
When an accredited auditor visits your manufacturer, they'll consider how healthy it is for their workers. One of the most common aspects of this is ventilation, which can be a huge factor in some work environments.
They'll also look at greenery, lights (LED or regular bulbs), and other facilities. Anything that helps with people's health, mood, and even sleeping patterns is beneficial.
If the workers are happier and healthier, they'll be more productive. It can also help reduce staff turnaround rate, which can improve product quality and consistency.
4. Identify Weaknesses in Your Environmental Policy
When an accredited auditor audits your manufacturer, they'll analyse various areas. Through this, you can see what aspects of the factory are the most sustainable and which are the least.
You can then encourage change with your manufacturer, within your business and your industry as a whole. Credible, independent verification will give you measurable information that you can use to make improvements and keep your business decisions objective.
5. Cost-Saving
Saving costs is a significant benefit for any business. You can achieve this with the help of a certified environmental auditor. Reducing the amount of waste from your manufacturer can position you well to negotiate with them, save them money and reduce your product costs. In addition, further encouragement to increase the use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar can lower their utility bills.
Consider any improvements that they could make to their lighting, heating, and water systems. Some differences may be minor, but they'll add up long-term. You may even be able to attract a price premium for your products because of your certification.
How to Get Certified
Azolla Certified provides a high-quality tailored audit providing a highly applicable summary of the environmental risks to your business during the manufacturing processes of your products. They'll review a range of areas within the primary factory including:
- Environmental policy
- Resource consumption
- Factory profile, certificates, licences, etc.
- Working environment
- Waste disposal
The certified environmental auditor will create a final report, giving your business an impact score based on all areas of the audit. The report is then presented along with a certification badge. We'll also provide a web and code-enabled badge that you can use online.
We'll add your product to our consumer-facing database so that your brand can be discovered by anyone viewing it and see that you have a product compliance certificate.
Is It Right for You?
Not all businesses focus on sustainability and product certifications, but the benefits that come with these can help any company. When consumers have a better opinion of your brand, it will help your company stand out and grow. In addition, the cost-saving factors can help increase overall profits.
If you’re wondering how to get environmental certification, Azolla Certified can provide ethical and environmental certification to any business that meets the proper criteria. If you have any questions about Azolla Certified or environmental certification, click here to contact us today.