As Covid-19 vaccinations roll out all over the globe, the world can finally press the “resume” on certain regular activities. Restaurants and bars are welcoming back their old crowds, people are going back to their office buildings, and countries are considering reopening their borders. We can easily recall the days when we were locked inside and buried by irritation awaiting the dark days fade awayto fade away and yet,  we forgot that amid the global pandemic and country-wide quarantines, aquatic life has returned to the canals of Venice, giant pandas have been found to be wandering around the highways in Sichuan and the air quality has drastically improved in multiple cities. 

随着新冠疫苗在全球实施接种，世界也按下了“继续”键。餐厅和酒吧重开大门迎接一张张熟客的脸，“打工人”们回到了热闹的办公楼，各个国家也开始考虑重新开放边境。黑暗的日子逐渐远去，我们很容易回忆起那段被关在家里百无聊赖的日子，却忘了在各国下令居家隔离时，鱼儿畅游在威尼斯清澈的河道，大熊猫信步于四川的高速，许多城市的空气质量大幅改善。

In the past year, we saw how much life can change in the blink of an eye, we also saw how much our daily activities and consumer behaviors have overwhelmed the planet. On the first-year anniversary of the pandemic and the 52nd Earth Day, we are once again bringing up sustainability, for it is now a non-negotiable topic which is affecting every one of us. More and more brands are joining to address this issue. Consumers, on the other hand, are noticing the increasing presence of eco-friendly brands, as well as ways to adopt a new lifestyle.

在过去的一年里，我们见证了生活在眨眼间翻天覆地的变化，也看到了我们的日常活动给这颗星球带来的重负。在疫情爆发一周年和第52个世界地球日到来之际，我们再一次谈起“可持续发展”，因为它已是一个无法对其进行利益争辩、影响着我们每个人的话题。越来越多的品牌加入了这个群聊组来探讨这个问题，消费者也因此愈发关注生态环保品牌的存在，并开启一种新的生活方式。

Starbucks, one of the veterans of the trend, started to promote eco-friendly concept as early as 1985. Customers who bring in their own tumblers can receive discounts off their orders. The brand is also among the first who moved towards non-plastic straws. Early in 2020, followed by Microsoft promising to become “carbon negative” by 2030, Starbucks introduced a list of goals they aim to achieve, including greener operations, more efficient waste recyclable packaging, and an eco-friendly menu. This year for Earth Day, Starbucks China will treat those who bring their own recyclable cups with a free coffee. For any coffee lovers, it sure counts as more than just a free sip of caffeinated joy. 

星巴克作为该话题的元老人物，早在1985年起就开始推进生态和谐的概念，推出了为自带咖啡杯进店的顾客打折的规定。星巴克也是首批适应非塑料吸管的先驱品牌之一。2020年早些时候，在微软宣布于2030年前实现“负碳排放”的目标后，星巴克紧随其后列出了一张目标清单，其中包括实现更绿色的门店运营、更高效的废物回收系统以及更环保的菜单。而在今年的地球日，星巴克中国将为自带咖啡杯的顾客送上一杯免费咖啡。对于咖啡爱好者们来说，这杯咖啡的意义远不止一丝烘焙豆子的清香。

Outdoorsy folks are often quite eco-conscious, and so are some of the activewear brands. As an active advocator for sustainability, the Adidas’ “Run for the Ocean” campaign has gained many public accolades over the past few years. In 2015, the brand partnered with environmental group Parley for the Oceans and showcased a unique version of their Ultra boost running shoes made entirely of ocean plastic. In 2016, Adidas x Parley was officially released,the series immediately become a trend and was the bestseller for twelve months at the New York flagship store.

通常情况下，户外狂人会比较有环保意识，一些运动品牌也是如此。作为可持续发展的积极倡导者，阿迪达斯的“为海洋奔跑”运动在近几年获得了许多公众的赞誉。在2015年，阿迪达斯和环保组织Parley for the Oceans展示了一款前所未见的由海洋垃圾制成的Ultra Boost概念跑鞋。这款鞋没有在当年发布，而是在2016年正式推出了Adidas x Parley系列，一经发布，这款鞋立马风靡街头，连续十二个月成为纽约旗舰店最畅销单品。

The positive acknowledgment from consumers assured the brand’s confidence to design more sustainable products and further campaign for the concept. The company designed jerseys made of recyclable materials worn by world renowned football players from Bayern München and Real Madrid. The latest version of their classics, Stan Smith sneakers, are now also made of recyclable materials. The brand has even announced to shift to using 100% recycled polyester in their products by 2024.

顾客们的积极反馈及认可坚定了品牌方将可持续发展设计进行下去的信心。在adidas x parley之后，阿迪达斯又让拜仁慕尼黑和皇家马德里的顶级球员们穿着由可回收材料制成的球衣在球场上驰骋。如今，最新版的阿迪达斯经典单品stan smith平板鞋也将由可回收材料制作。品牌方甚至定下了将在2024年前实现100%的产品都由可回收材料制作的目标。

In the face of increasingly severe environmental and social challenges, Lancôme launched its first global sustainable development program -- "Caring Together for A Happier Tomorrow" on March 22nd, 2021, which lays down a series of ambitious goals in the field of sustainable development and social inclusion. The initiative to “bring the world to bloom” will further push the brand to manufacture products with sustainable packaging using more recyclable materials. The program also calls for “living responsibly”, which vows to shift 100% of its best-selling products to “refillable, recyclable or rechargeable formats” by 2025 and encourages customers to recycle or refill their bottles at local retail stores. In fact, Lancôme has collected more than 200 million empty bottles in 2020 in China alone.

面对日益严峻的环境和社会挑战，兰蔻在今年3月21日启动了其首个全球范围内的可持续发展项目“Caring for a Happier Tomorrow”，包含了一系列为了可持续发展和社会包容性的宏伟目标。其中“让世界绽放”的倡议将进一步促进品牌使用可回收材料制作包装。该项目同时还提出了“责任生活“，承诺在2025年前将其最畅销的产品包装100%换成“可重复使用、可回收或可续装”的形式，并鼓励消费者在当地零售店回收或重新续装产品。事实上，2020年兰蔻仅在中国就回收了超过200万个包装瓶。

According to the White Paper on Fashion Consumption of China's New Generation, 80.4% of respondents believe that corporate social responsibility (CSR) will influence their consumer behavior. Young consumers are typically more sensitive to sustainable development and are more willing to choose brands with more environmentally friendly concepts.

根据中国青年时尚消费白皮书统计，80.4%的受访者表示企业社会责任感会影响他们的消费行为。年轻一代的消费者通常对可持续发展更敏感，也更愿意选择更环保的品牌。

As individual consumers, we may not be able to change our lifestyle instantly, yet a sustainable lifestyle is an achievable project starting from changing our daily consumption habits and supporting eco-friendly brands. Technology development made it possible for designers to combine aesthetics, sustainability, and practicability. Imagine how cool it would be to announce that “this pair of designer shoes cost twenty plastic bottles from the ocean!”

做为个体消费者，我们可能无法立即改变我们的生活方式，然而从改变日常消费习惯和支持环保品牌出发，可持续的生活方式是一个可以实现的项目。科技的发展使设计师能够将美学、可持续性和实用性更完美地结合起来。试想一下，向周围人宣布“这双名牌鞋花了20个废塑料瓶!”是多么酷的一件事！

Sustainability has become a lifestyle model for both brands and consumers. For brands, taking green initiatives is not merely a marketing strategy to drive profit and build brand reputation. The question of how to balance social responsibility for the environment and shareholder expectations will no longer be a challenge if their expectations include a cleaner future. By constantly echoing their advocacy to go green, brands can use their impact to encourage global and local consumers to grow the green community. For consumers, the actions we take are bigger than a coffee cup, a serum bottle, or a pair of running shoes. Every step counts towards the long walk of sustainability.

于品牌和个人，可持续发展确实已变成一种生活方式。对品牌而言，推进绿色环保不仅是提高利润和建立品牌信誉的一种营销方式。如果股东的期望包括一个更清澈的未来，那么如何平衡环境及社会责任和股东期望的问题将不再是个挑战。通过不断响应绿色倡议，品牌可以利用他们的影响力，鼓励全球和当地消费者壮大绿色群体。对消费者来说，我们为环保所采取的行动的价值远远比一个咖啡杯、护肤精华瓶要大、比一双限量跑鞋更亮眼。在可持续发展这条漫漫长路上走出的每一步都无比重要。

Are you ready for an Earth-friendly lifestyle?

这种对这颗蓝色星球更友好的生活方式，你准备好去迎接它了吗？

If you want to develop your brand’s marketing in China, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@eastant.it.

如果你想在中国推广你的品牌，欢迎随时联系我们：info@eastant.it