10 Sustainable Marketing Examples & Campaigns (2026 Guide)
The best sustainable marketing doesn’t just say a brand is green. It shows what the brand is actually doing, invites people to take part, and backs every claim with evidence. Here are 10 real examples of sustainable marketing campaigns, what made each one work, one that went wrong, and how to apply the lessons in 2026.
What is sustainable marketing?
Sustainable marketing promotes products, services and ideas in a way that creates lasting value for the business, people and the planet. It is honest about impact, backs claims with evidence, and often encourages people to buy less, buy better or change everyday habits. For a deeper comparison, see our guide to sustainable vs traditional marketing.
Why sustainable marketing matters in 2026
- Customers say they want it. In PwC’s 2024 Voice of the Consumer survey of more than 20,000 people in 31 countries and territories, 80% said they were willing to pay more for sustainably produced or sourced goods (PwC, May 2024).
- Vague claims now carry real risk. Since 6 April 2025, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority can fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover for breaking consumer law, including through misleading environmental claims (Fieldfisher). From 27 September 2026, EU rules also ban generic claims such as “eco-friendly” unless they can be backed by recognised excellent environmental performance (COSLAW).
That’s why the examples below share one thing: something real behind the message.
10 examples of sustainable marketing campaigns
1. Patagonia: “Don’t Buy This Jacket”
On Black Friday, 25 November 2011, Patagonia ran a full-page ad in The New York Times headlined “Don’t Buy This Jacket”. It explained that each garment “emits several times its weight in greenhouse gases” and generates waste, and asked readers to think before they bought (Patagonia).
Why it worked: it turned the biggest shopping day of the year into a conversation about consumption, and it was believable because it matched Patagonia’s long-standing repair and reuse message.
2. Patagonia: “Earth is now our only shareholder”
On 14 September 2022, founder Yvon Chouinard announced that Patagonia’s ownership had been transferred to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit. Profits not reinvested in the business are now paid out each year to fight the environmental crisis (Patagonia).
Why it worked: the message was the structure itself. A single, memorable line summed up a change that couldn’t be dismissed as greenwashing.
3. IKEA: “Fortune Favours the Frugal”
Launched in the UK and Ireland on 1 January 2021 with the agency Mother, this campaign recast frugality as something good for people and the planet, encouraging moderation over excess (Creative Moment).
Why it worked: it linked sustainability to saving money, a benefit everyone understands, rather than asking people to sacrifice.
4. IKEA: Buy Back and Resell
IKEA UK buys back assembled IKEA furniture in exchange for a refund card. Items in good condition are resold in stores’ Re-shop and Re-use sections, and IKEA Family members get 15% more on the offer (IKEA UK).
Why it worked: it made the circular choice easy and rewarding, and it brings customers back into stores.
5. adidas x Parley for the Oceans
Announced on Earth Day 2015, the partnership made shoes and clothing using Parley Ocean Plastic, upcycled from marine plastic waste. According to Parley, adidas made around 1 million pairs of shoes with it in 2017, 5 million in 2018 and 11 million in 2019 (Parley).
Why it worked: it turned an environmental problem into a desirable product, and the rising production figures showed it was more than a one-off.
6. Carlsberg: Snap Pack
In 2019, Carlsberg replaced plastic rings on its multipacks with Snap Pack, which glues cans together. Carlsberg says it cuts plastic use on multipacks by up to 76% (Carlsberg Group).
Why it worked: the change was visible every time someone picked up a pack, so the product did the marketing.
7. Who Gives a Crap: humour with a purpose
This Melbourne-born toilet paper brand uses cheeky humour to sell recycled and bamboo toilet paper. It invests 50% of its profits in clean water, sanitation and sustainability, with partners including WaterAid Australia, and says it has raised £11,191,773 to date (Who Gives a Crap).
Why it worked: humour made a dull product memorable, and a specific, published figure made the impact credible.
8. Fairphone: designed to be repaired
Amsterdam-based Fairphone makes long-lasting phones, sells spare parts and repair tutorials, runs a take-back programme, and sources conflict-free tin and tungsten through a transparent supply chain (European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform).
Why it worked: it competes on values most phone brands can’t claim, and the repairability is something customers can test for themselves.
9. Wonderful Copenhagen: CopenPay
Copenhagen’s tourism organisation rewards visitors with free experiences for green actions such as cycling or collecting litter. Participation grew from 5,000 people in the 2024 pilot to 25,000 in 2025, and 7 in 10 participants said they left motivated to change everyday habits (Wonderful Copenhagen). TIME named it one of its Best Inventions of 2025, and it became permanent and year-round in June 2026 (Wonderful Copenhagen).
Why it worked: it rewards good behaviour instead of shaming bad behaviour, and it publishes measured results. Read more in our guide to sustainability in Copenhagen.
10. Bye Bye Plastic Bags
Sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen started Bye Bye Plastic Bags in Bali in 2013, when they were 12 and 10. In 2019, Bali banned single-use plastics including bags, straws and Styrofoam (World Economic Forum).
Why it worked: a clear, simple ask and authentic messengers showed how campaigning can shift both behaviour and policy.
A cautionary example: Oatly
In 2022, the UK Advertising Standards Authority investigated Oatly ads after 109 complaints and found that the brand had failed to substantiate four of the five environmental claims challenged. One example: a claim of “73% less CO2e” than cow’s milk was read as applying to all Oatly products, when the evidence covered only its Barista Edition oat drink (RPC).
The lesson: a good cause doesn’t excuse a loose claim. Make sure every figure applies exactly to what the reader will think it means. Our guide to avoiding greenwashing covers this in more detail.
Sustainable marketing strategies these examples use
| Strategy | Examples |
|---|---|
| Encourage buying less or buying better | Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket”, IKEA’s “Fortune Favours the Frugal” |
| Make the circular choice easy | IKEA Buy Back, Fairphone |
| Partner with an environmental cause | adidas x Parley, Who Gives a Crap |
| Let the product change be the message | Carlsberg Snap Pack |
| Reward positive behaviour | CopenPay |
| Prove commitment through structure | Patagonia’s ownership change |
| Back every claim with specific evidence | Who Gives a Crap, CopenPay (and the Oatly warning) |
Key takeaways
- Lead with action, not adjectives. Each example points to something concrete the brand did.
- Publish the numbers. Specific, sourced figures, like Who Gives a Crap’s donations or CopenPay’s results, build trust.
- Make people part of it. The strongest campaigns give customers a role, from selling back furniture to cycling for a free lunch.
- Keep claims precise. As Oatly shows, a claim that is broader than its evidence can undo the good work.
- Be consistent over time. Patagonia’s campaigns land because they match decades of behaviour.
Want to build a sustainable marketing campaign?
Growfish is a sustainable marketing studio working exclusively with purpose-driven organisations. If you’d like help turning real sustainability work into a campaign people trust, we’d love to hear from you.
FAQs
What is an example of sustainable marketing? Patagonia’s 2011 “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad is one of the best-known, asking customers to think before they buy.
What is the difference between green marketing and sustainable marketing? Green marketing promotes a product’s environmental benefits. Sustainable marketing covers environmental, social and economic impact across the whole business.
How do you avoid greenwashing in sustainable marketing? Make specific claims, back them with evidence that matches exactly what you’re claiming, and avoid vague words such as “eco-friendly”. See our list of key sustainability terms.
Sources
- PwC, 2024 Voice of the Consumer survey press release, 15 May 2024
- Fieldfisher, Greenwashing under scrutiny: the CMA’s new powers
- COSLAW, Environmental claims after 27 September 2026
- Patagonia, Don’t Buy This Jacket, Black Friday and the New York Times
- Patagonia, Earth is now our only shareholder
- Creative Moment, IKEA launches Fortune Favours the Frugal
- IKEA UK, Buy Back and Resell
- Parley for the Oceans, adidas x Parley
- Carlsberg Group, Snap Pack
- Who Gives a Crap, Our impact
- European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, Fairphone
- Wonderful Copenhagen, CopenPay press kit
- Wonderful Copenhagen, CopenPay goes year-round, 9 June 2026
- World Economic Forum, Melati Wijsen, 10 February 2020
- RPC, Oatly ads banned for misleading climate claims, 8 June 2022
For more information about growing your sustainable business with a sustainable marketing strategy, get in touch with a member of the team at growfish.co. We’d love to hear form you!
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