Top Tips for Retailers

Bringing all this together into a sustainability policy doesn’t need to be complicated says Sarah Robins.

‘Ultimately, any policy is a statement of intent and the very best of these are simple to say and easy to understand. The last thing anyone wants is reams of pages that say everything but mean nothing!’

‘The competitive advantage of independent schoolwear specialists is that they know their customers, their schools and communities, so let’s reflect that in our policies too.’

Sarah concludes by reminding us that there’s a famous saying which asserts ‘small is beautiful’ . The same is true, she advises, for sustainability policies. ‘Listing your goals for each of the areas above, should be more than enough for most tender requirements. Where appropriate, linking to the more detailed policies on your suppliers’ websites might be helpful too.‘ But keeping it simple is her watchword and best advice.

As they say, every journey - and every mountain we climb - begins with a single step.

We know that schools and pupils care about responsible sourcing and environmentally friendly products. Make sure you promote the leading ethical and environmental standards from suppliers and highlight these logos in store, online and in tender documents. We’ve included some of the leading examples below.