Press & Media

August 2022: ethy has a vision for a world where shopping doesn't come at the expense of the environment, people, or animals, and works with brands to audit and accredit their sustainable initiatives, giving savvy shoppers peace of mind through recognisable trust mark icons and one convenient, free-to-use sustainable shopping guide app.

Amidst soaring UK demand for ethically produced and environmentally friendly goods and services, more than one-third of UK shoppers now actively choose brands that can demonstrate good sustainability practices and values.

Fighting the marketing trend for greenwashing and unproven sustainable manufacturing claims, the power behind ethy is a new audit and accreditation process that gives consumer goods brands of any size the chance to validate their sustainable credentials. Brands passing the ethy audit in up to 35 environmental, social, and sustainable initiatives can use ethy's hexagonal trust mark icons on packaging, digital, and advertising. Multiple category trust marks build into a visual Impact Hive that customers can quickly identify to differentiate the most conscientious brands.

Callum Miller, CEO of ethy, said: "ethy is setting the benchmarks for truly sustainable brands. We aim to ensure the new generation of savvy shoppers know which brands to trust through highly recognisable ethy trust marks and our sustainable shopping guide app. We are championing ethical consumer shopping by enabling brands big or small to prove their commitments through rigorous audit and accreditation, and helping consumers to research, shop, and live more sustainably."

The ethy app has seen explosive growth since its launch, giving sustainable shoppers a comprehensive platform to find the best in ethical goods and services, alongside tips, guides, and information on living more sustainably. The easy-to-use ethy app directly addresses findings of a recent Deloitte survey suggesting 41% of UK adults are reluctant to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle due to it being 'too complicated' or 'difficult to do'.

Amidst widespread concerns over 'greenwashing', behind the scenes, ethy has revolutionised the audit, accreditation and certification process for brands looking to prove their environmental and social credentials. ethy developed an affordable, scalable audit and accreditation solution for consumer brands, from start-ups to multinationals, covering 35 socially and ethically responsible initiatives across six core paths that represent the most pressing sustainability challenges today.

From cruelty-free and vegan-friendly to low carbon, renewable energy, recycling, low-water use and plastic-free manufacturing, each initiative has its own ethy approved trust mark, that brands can build into an interlocking Impact Hive of accreditation. In addition, the organisation works tirelessly to improve communication and awareness of sustainability in manufacturing and the supply chain through business support and resources, training, and a wide range of expert-led sustainability workshops.

From zero-waste stores to vegan cafes, cosmetics, food & drink, and fashion, over 100 brands have already undergone ethy audit and accreditation. They can now stand by their claims with ethy trust mark logos on their websites, marketing, and packaging, giving shoppers trust in their sustainable claims. The 2020 Compare Ethics Report showed that 83% of consumers would be more likely to trust a product's sustainability claim if it had been verified by a third party.

"Our mission is to empower both businesses, brands and consumers to act for a more sustainable future," adds Callum. "From significantly lowering the cost of audit and accreditation, so even the smallest start-up consumer brands can prove their values, to delivering a free-to-use app packed with information on environmentally friendly shopping, ethy is championing a brighter, greener, more sustainable future for everyone."

For more information on ethy, interview with CEO Callum Miller or for comment on any sustainable shopping topics, please get in touch with the team at Quick Brown Fox: hello@quickbrownfoxpr.com

Download ethy on the App Store here and the Google Play store here.

ENDS

Editors notes

Formed in 2020, ethy set out to give all consumer brands the chance to prove their ethical and sustainable credentials by significantly lowering the cost of accreditation while offering consumers a simpler way to recognise and shop for the most conscientious brands. In line with UN Sustainable Development Goals and partnered with organisations such Carbon Neutral Britain, WWF and the Association of Sustainability Practitioners (ASP) ethy is championing sustainable shopping through bright, visual ethy trust marks and a consumer app highlighting the best ethical brands.