Thoughtful product design and circularity are some of the areas to focus on in the new year.

Countless industries are now facing the facts on the dire need for greater sustainability in their products’ lifecycles. The genie is out of the bottle, and the consequences of consumption have changed the conversation on what and why we buy.

As is typical when an industry is trying to hold itself to new standards, “There are varying levels of sustainability theatre going on,” says Dan Cardozo, president, and CEO of apparel company.

Steve Starr, senior vice president for global programs and brand at Top 40 company, expresses a similar sentiment, noting that many commercial and consumer users are “starting to think seriously about their carbon footprint.”

“Sustainable products alone largely go unchecked and unaudited,” he continues. “Many times, we see a product that sounds eco-friendly, but really needs another review to determine whether its impact on the environment can be properly accounted for.” With eyes on these issues from all angles, experts share several areas gaining traction regarding safe and sustainable production.

1. You’ll hear more about: Circularity

Circularity is a sustainability concept that takes the end of an item’s useful life into account when it’s being produced. Kriya Stevens, director of apparel company, says to consider the following questions: Can the product be recycled? If so, are there viable recycling programs readily accessible to consumers? Can traditional materials be replaced with materials that can be composted or recycled? “Products that can claim true circularity will set themselves apart from the pack,” she adds.

Textiles perhaps have the most work to do on circularity, says Ben Grossman, co-president of Grossman Marketing Group. “Companies want to do business with other companies who are responsible in these ways,” he says, “so we’ve seen an increase in interest in that in RFPs. Companies don’t want to just make the item; they have to consider the product lifecycle.”

Cardozo’s Ethix is looking at moving its clients to products that have their entire supply chain transparently disclosed, “all the way back to the ginning and spinning of the cotton, the sew/cut/dying, to the end of the life of the product.” That’s still a rarity, he adds, but he’s hoping circular and transparent production will become more prevalent.

2. You’ll hear more about: Pushing out PFAS

Last year, scientists made headway on a difficult problem: finding a cost-effective way to break up PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as “forever chemicals,” that can leach out and contaminate soil and water even years after first coming into contact with them. In August 2022, the journal Science published research that indicated the chemicals could be essentially boiled away with the addition of two low-cost and widely available compounds. Because these PFAS chemicals are also commonly found on fabrics – particularly as waterproofing on performance apparel – Stevens says the industry is expecting “new requirements for chemical screenings related to PFAS to become part of fashion’s standard operating procedures.” She notes that the Environmental Protection Agency is still researching these chemicals, “but the jury is in for many scientists; these harmful chemicals need to be eliminated.”

Indeed, states are already enacting forever chemical bans. Both California and New York have legislation prohibiting PFAS in apparel. And 3M announced late last year that it will stop manufacturing and using PFAS across its product portfolio by the end of 2025, in response to the accelerating regulatory trends and other factors. Expect momentum against PFAS chemicals to continue as 2023 unfolds.

3. You’ll hear more about: Thoughtful design

Grossman says that how a product looks factors heavily into whether it will have a long life. From T-shirts to totes, a nice graphic or illustration – with a logo used more subtly – will have broader appeal versus a basic tote blaring a giant company logo. “If you have the budget and time for planning, spend a little more on your design,” he says. For apparel, “Make the logo more subtle on the left sleeve or the back neck, and use the larger real estate for the beautiful illustration or message,” he explains. “Often, you don’t even need to spend more for production; you can do a beautiful design in one color. Simplicity can be elegant.”

Any company is going to want to be thoughtful about how to get its message across in a way that resonates. No matter the industry, Grossman says he’s noticed items that are message-driven sell much better than brand-driven ones.

4. You’ll hear more about: Packaging

Ecovative makes a packaging alternative to Styrofoam, composed of hemp and mycelium. Packaging is a hot topic for sustainability. Efforts continue to create packaging that’s easier to recycle than the plastic containers or laminated products more common in years past, says Grossman.

Cardozo says company stores and online web stores, which still rely on cellophane and Styrofoam, have the most work to do in this area: “People are getting fancier and fancier all the time with what they want to provide for clients, but we need to be conscious of the impact on the environment.”

Starr shares this view, saying that he’s seeing major companies frequently placing such requirements on those they partner with. “We’re seeing a point of cognition across the world, where both commercial and consumer users are starting to think seriously about their carbon footprint,” he says.

For her part, Stevens has seen a viable alternative to Styrofoam in Ecovative’s mushroom packaging, made of hemp and mycelium, which is scalable and compostable. She also notes startups like Olive, which offers premium reusable packaging and claims retailers can save 50% on return shipping costs using its service. “Like most of the environmental challenges we face,” Stevens adds, “we expect to see solutions come in a myriad of forms.”