How to show sustainability in your branding
You care about sustainability. You’ve made thoughtful decisions about your supply chain. Maybe your ingredients are traceable, and your products are responsibly made. But how do you show that to customers?
Here’s the reality: you can’t rely on web copy or product pages alone. What your customer sees and feels when they buy from you, matters more than a thousand words. Be it in your retail store or when your ecommerce parcel lands on their doorstep.
And that’s where packaging steps in.
This article is a practical guide for ecommerce and retail brands who want to show they’re sustainable, not just say it.
We'll be touching on the following:
Why sustainability must be visible at the unboxing stage.
Why your packaging is your first, and often only, chance to prove your values.
How Woola helps you communicate sustainability, beautifully and believably.
Proven ideas for integrating Woola packaging into your marketing, content, and customer journey.
Why it’s so hard to “show” sustainability
Many ecommerce brands struggle to show the work they’re doing internally. Sustainability, as a value, is nearly invisible to the customer unless you shine a light on it.
Here are a few reasons why your consumer is unaware of your sustainability initiatives:
Sustainability happens behind the scenes
Supplier audits, energy-saving initiatives or offsetting programs don’t show up in the customer's experience — unless you make them visible.Most packaging looks the same
Even if you add some information on your packaging about how you’re making progress in sustainability, it is likely to go unnoticed. As people are overloaded with information targeted at them, we don’t pay attention unless the medium (in the case of packaging, the material) really stands out.
What’s worse, some sustainable alternatives look and feel just like plastic, so people won’t be able to tell the difference. If customers can’t easily tell if that padded envelope is recyclable, compostable, or landfill-bound, it’s hard to call it “progress.” It can even lead to trust issues with the brand.Words alone aren’t enough
Sustainability claims have been overused. “Eco-friendly,” “green,” and “natural” are often vague and ineffective without proof. People are becoming more and more aware of greenwashing and they see through such vague claims.
The solution: show sustainability through your packaging
Packaging is one of the few chances you get to show your customer what your brand really stands for, without saying a word. When they open a parcel and find some unique material (like wool or mushroom packaging) instead of plastic, it catches them off guard in the best way. It stands out, feels thoughtful and intentional. Like, someone actually cared about what that package would say.
“Packaging seems to be one of those areas where it's possible to show that you made a change to what you're doing.”
— Jevgeni Širai, Co-founder of Woola
We at Woola make packaging out of wool — and time and again, our customers tell us that they appreciate how the material helps tell their brand’s sustainability story. At Woola, we work with premium ecommerce and luxury brands who want packaging that:
Protects fragile items.
Looks and feels high-end.
Aligns with sustainability goals.
Signals those values to the customer, loud and clear.
Wool packaging does all of that. It’s a protective layer and a statement piece that makes customers stop and say, “This is different.”
What makes Woola packaging so effective?
1. It's evidence of a sustainable supply chain
Woola packaging is made from waste wool — a material that would otherwise be thrown away or burned.
Around 200,000 tonnes of coarse wool go unused in the EU each year.
Woola turns that overlooked material into beautiful, functional packaging that replaces plastic bubble wrap and other plastic packaging. It’s biodegradable, sheep-friendly, and made in Estonia using local wool.
2. It looks premium
Whether you're shipping jewellery, supplements, glasses, or skincare, the tactile experience of Woola packaging amplifies your brand.
Our packaging, such as Wool Envelopes or Bubble Wool are not only protective, but they also feel high-end. The natural textures signal craftsmanship and the absence of plastic adds credibility to your brands voice. What’s more, it does not feel like trash after first use! So consumers cherish the material and find ways to reuse, return or repurpose it.
“Woola packaging is very cool, and it is a beautiful product.”
— Chad Jensen, Writer and Content Manager at Aurajinn
3. It sparks conversation
Woola packaging doesn’t look or feel like anything else on the market, and that is something that customers notice. They post, they tag, and they tell the world about that.
The result? Your packaging becomes a passive marketing tool, one that reinforces your values and invites your customers to amplify them.
“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel. That’s the magic of unboxing. It’s not just about packaging, it’s about the moment of excitement, the anticipation, the little spark of joy that makes your brand unforgettable.”
— Nicolas Katkoff, Sales Manager at Woola
Practical ways to show sustainability with packaging
Don’t let your sustainability story end at the doorstep, make sure your customers see it, feel it, and actually understand what you’re doing. Here are some simple, yet thoughtful ways to turn your packaging into a conversation starter.
1. Add printed messaging on packaging
For example, Woola packaging is a half-coloured canvas for your brand to join. We can add your brand visuals or messages to help highlight what’s important to you. By default, our Wool Envelope, for example, is branded with messaging that conveys the most direct impact: “This envelope replaces 882cm² of bubble wrap.”
How agood company’s Woola envelopes look.
Reading a statement like this triggers the release of feel-good hormones in your consumer, helping create an emotional connection and engagement. Adding your company logo alongside statements like these makes consumers feel better after purchasing from you and fosters loyalty with your brand.
These short statements educate your customer, without sounding like a “Greensday preacher.” We can help you customise your packaging to perfectly fit in with your brand.
2. Use unique packaging materials
Materials speak louder than marketing. If your packaging looks just like every other box on the porch, your sustainability story risks going unnoticed. But when the material itself is unexpected, it invites curiosity, sparks conversation, and shows real action behind your words.
Think about it: anyone can print a green leaf icon on a cardboard box and call it a day. But wrapping your product in something tactile, natural, and totally different? That shows you've actually done the work. It's a signal to your customer that you’ve made a choice — a better one. And in a sea of sameness, that choice stands out.
Unique materials make the sustainability story feel more real. Customers don’t have to take your word for it — they can unwrap it, touch it, and see for themselves. It shifts the focus from vague promises to something they can hold in their hands (and maybe even brag about to friends). That’s what gets the message noticed, and makes it memorable.
3. Create unboxing magic
Unboxing content is social media gold. Your customers are filming it. You probably are too.
Creating content with your packaging materials also visually creates trust that your brand is moving sustainably.
Here are some ideas for your brand:
Show a side-by-side comparison: plastic vs your choice of sustainable packaging like Woola.
Film your team packing products.
Capture close-ups of the textures and fibres.
Organise giveaways for those who post unboxing videos with your parcels.
Regularly repost customers’ unboxing videos in your socials, with the CTA for others to create more.
Work with influencers to create such UGC content.
Allow your packaging to do your storytelling. It’s photogenic, it’s different, and it says more than a cardboard box ever could.
4. Update your sustainability page
Your customers are looking for proof, and your “Sustainability” page on your website is where they might go to see what you’re up to even before ordering from you. Make sure not to leave the packaging out of that picture. Even one strong sentence can make a difference.
Here is an example from our customer BioGaia’s website:
Include a photo and add a link to Woola for extra transparency. Your customers will appreciate the clarity and your commitment to walking your talk.
How to talk about sustainable packaging in your marketing
When marketing your sustainability efforts, it’s easy to fall into the trap of using overused greenwashing buzzwords. These vague terms have become red flags for many consumers, often signalling that a brand is more focused on appearances than real action.
To help you avoid this, here’s a quick cheat sheet:
| Instead of this… | Say this… |
|---|---|
| “Eco-friendly packaging” | “Sustainable packaging crafted from X material” |
| “Plastic-free” | “Protected by wool, not plastic” |
| “Green packaging” | “Sustainable packaging” |
| “Natural materials” | “Waste wool that's reusable, biodegradable, and home-compostable” |
Enforcing the notion with your customers that you're not just another brand that is making empty promises, but actually practising what you preach, allows trust to form between you and the customer. Trust leads to client retention and a stronger emotional connection.
The business case for visible sustainability
Sustainability has shifted from a previous value-driven decision to a full-blown business strategy. The brands that show their commitment in clear, tangible ways are both doing the right thing and winning customer trust, attention, and most importantly, their loyalty.
Here’s why showing sustainability visibly through your packaging gives you a real edge:
1. Sustainability drives customer choice
Over 60% of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers consider a brand’s sustainability practices when making purchasing decisions. Shoppers today are buying into the values behind the product, and not just the product itself. They no longer only focus on the ingredients or composition.
They care about the entire experience, from the moment they hit “check out” to when the parcel arrives.
With Woola, you won’t merely meet their expectations but totally blow them away. You show your customers that your commitment runs deeper than marketing, and that you’ve considered the full lifecycle of their experience.
2. You’ll get noticed in a crowded market
In the premium and luxury ecommerce space, visual ‘sameness’ is everywhere. Elegant serif fonts, minimal layouts, black boxes, gold foil — the cues that once signalled exclusivity now look redundant and mundane. The brands that stand out are the ones that do something different, not for the sake of novelty, but to reflect what truly matters to their customers.
Woola packaging will do exactly that for your business. Our packaging feels premium, but also down-to-earth. It breaks the mould without feeling out of place. And that contrast — between softness and strength, form and function, beauty and biodegradability — is what creates that instant pause. It makes people look twice, and more importantly, it makes them remember a great experience with your brand.
“This packaging is anything but boring!”
— Chad Jensen, Writer and Content Manager at Aurajinn
3. It’s a story worth sharing
Sustainability doesn’t need a headline to go viral, it needs a story customers want to tell. And Woola naturally invites that storytelling. Its texture sparks curiosity and leads to a shareable moment. It’s different enough to be noticed, and thoughtful enough to be appreciated. That combination is social media gold.
“People are speaking through packaging, and Woola tells a very compelling story.”
— Andry Soo, Sales Development Representative at Woola
Woola customers don’t just open their packages, they document them. This turns your investment in sustainable packaging into ongoing organic visibility. Instead of disappearing into the bin, your packaging becomes part of the narrative.
Ready to show your sustainability?
Switching to Woola is one of the fastest, clearest, and most beautiful ways to show your commitment to sustainability. We carefully curate a narrative that will show your consumers the work that you have done and what your company stands for.
Our custom solutions will allow you to express your brand's individuality without compromising your integrity. Talk to our sales team, or request your free Woola sample to test it out on your products.
