Kate Assaraf is the Founder and CEO of Dip.
Sustainability shouldn’t feel like an exclusive club. There’s no single right way to be sustainable, and it’s time to invite everyone into the conversation regardless of their lifestyle or choices. David Attenborough said in a 2019 interview with Greta Thunberg that her activism lit a spark among youth that sustainability advocates had been trying to light for decades. He was right. She got people to pay attention, to think about the future and to ask themselves: What kind of world will we leave behind?
But here we are now, just a few short years later, and it seems some of that excitement has dwindled. I’ve been watching it unfold in real-time in the industry of sustainable care products, and I believe there are a few concrete reasons why the excitement failed to materialize. I also believe there is one thing the sustainability movement needs now more than ever: a shift in the meaning and messaging of sustainable brands.
Somewhere along the way, the conversation got stuck in a cycle of judgment with certain behaviors seen as the gold standard and others dismissed. But sustainability looks different for everyone. Whether you’re a vegan avoiding out-of-season or plastic-wrapped produce, or a hunter feeding your family and decreasing your reliance on supply chains, both are valuable contributions. The sustainability movement ate its own, shamed its own, and then had the nerve to ask, “Hey, where did everyone go?” It’s rational for people to abandon it since there was no wiggle room for them to participate in different ways.
I’ve learned that for brands in the sustainability space, this might mean going back to the drawing board and making better, more intentional products. Ultimately, sustainable consumption can be summed up in three words: Buy less junk.
How Unsustainable Marketing Undermined The Promise Of Sustainability
The market is flooded. Everywhere you look there’s a “sustainable” label slapped on something, but most consumers have learned the truth: a lot of these products aren’t truly sustainable. They usually cost far more and don’t work as well. I’ve heard so many people say, “I’m not buying another plastic-free deodorant. I’m just not doing it.”
And really, I can’t blame them. How many $14 deodorants do you have to try before you give up and go back to the $4 one that actually works?
Sure, the product itself might be labeled plastic-free, but what about the supply chain? What about the shrink-wrapped pallets sitting in a warehouse before the product even hits the shelves? Consumers see through this. They’re smart. They want transparency, real transparency, and they want products that deliver. That’s why local refilleries are the best line of defense against overpaying for an awful “sustainable” product. The shop owners do the homework for you and put the best of the best on their shelves.
Here’s where we’ve collectively gone wrong. Right now, sustainability feels like it’s centered around guilt and consumption. Don’t eat this, only buy those, don’t drive this car. It’s isolating. And honestly, nobody wants to live like that. Sustainability shouldn’t be about perfection, it’s about progress. It doesn’t mean overhauling your entire life. Small changes like buying less, reducing your waste or simply being more mindful about your consumption are all steps in the right direction.
The Difference Thoughtful Brands Make
Finding truly sustainable brands has become difficult, but it’s not all bad. There are some brands out there; Axiology, Bite, Hibar, Elate, ReBrand and Dew Mighty (just to name a few) that have taken the time to truly understand sustainability and their customers. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside and learn from some of these brands. What I found? They didn’t rush to market. They took their time to create products that solve real problems in thoughtful ways. I think their stories do as good a job as I can do explaining how brands should approach sustainability.
Take Bite. Lindsay, a friend of mine and the founder of Bite, made the idea of toothpaste in tabs mainstream after her appearance on Shark Tank, a concept that was truly niche at the time. She didn’t just launch a product—she exploded an entire category by bringing mass awareness of the plastic crisis and an attainable solution. Then there’s HiBar, co-founded by Nora, who I often talk to about the state of sustainability. They spent a lot of time figuring out how their products would fit into people’s lives—how to make them practical for use in the shower.
These brands inspire me. They’re not just chasing trends, they’re taking the time to develop products that last, that work and invite sustainability advocates from all walks of life to make a small change. For me, it’s less about competition and more about learning from each other and contributing to a movement that’s bigger than any one brand.
But for every HiBar or Bite, there are “zombie brands” lurking. These are the brands that look successful on the surface but are unsustainable socially and financially. I remember the controversy around Allbirds, a brand that quickly rose and dominated the market for a time but struggled to turn a profit. They had all the hype, but behind the scenes, their model wasn’t as sustainable as they wanted people to believe. Copycat brands tended to jump into the market, dupe existing products and burn out quickly, leaving consumers disillusioned with the sustainable movement.
The Power Of Action Over Activism
Here’s what I’ve always believed: Action is louder than activism. Posting online about how awful plastic is or shaming people for their choices might start a conversation, but what really makes a difference is showing people practical, accessible ways to live more sustainably. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about progress. Maybe you’re not ready to give up your car, but you can buy in bulk and reduce your packaging waste. Maybe you make one or two small swaps that, over time, really add up.
That’s what matters in the long run.
At the end of the day, people want to feel excited about sustainability again. They don’t want to have to buy a hundred products to be seen as sustainable. They want to be part of something bigger, something that’s actually making a difference. So let’s stop preaching. Let’s stop pointing fingers. Let’s start including everyone in the conversation. If we’re going to make this work, we need to turn sustainability back into something people are excited about—something that feels like a party we’re all invited to, instead of an elitist echo chamber of finger-wagging product-pushers. After all, sustainability is not something you can purchase.
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