Top Sustainability Trends for Businesses in 2025

Strategies for Business Growth & Brand Loyalty That Align With Your Business Values

Sustainability is no longer a simple buzzword in the business world. With increasing consumer expectations and pressure to align business values with product outcomes, gone are the times when a company could get by with adding “sustainable” to their marketing language and call it a day. 

A recent consumer study from Propel Software reveals that 55% of consumers — more than half of those interviewed — say they would “break up” with a brand if they discovered it wasn’t eco-friendly. In other words, the stakes are high for businesses that don’t pursue truly sustainable products and solutions. 

So how can a brand align its words with actions that build consumer trust and keep the business competitive? Read on for top sustainability trends in 2025 and actionable insights that businesses can leverage to stay on a growth trajectory and align with their purpose-driven missions.

Sustainable Business Trend 1:

Circular Economy Strategies Take Center Stage

What Is the Circular Economy?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines the circular economy as a way to “keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible.” In other words, how can we expand the life of consumer goods? This might look like a business creating new tech products with interchangeable parts to avoid the need for replacing an entire product when only one part of it needs repair. Thrift stores and food pantries are other examples of organizations that contribute to a circular economy. Each organization works to provide new life for products that otherwise would be thrown in the trash.

The circular economy is directly tied to the 3 Rs that most people either grew up with or have heard: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” In fact, a fourth “R” has taken up residence in various circles. Depending on who you ask, this fourth word may be “Recover,” “Rethink,” “Refuse,” or “Repurpose.” Each word has the same heart and focus at its core: operating with an eco-conscious mind on how business actions impact both people and the planet. This closing of the production gap ensures business practices are restorative and regenerative, which improves environmental outcomes, a business’ bottom line, its standing with customers, and the outlook of customers’ as a whole.

Why Does the Circular Economy Matter?

Adopting a circular economy strategy ultimately reduces waste across physical products, digital products, and even several less tangible services. Research shows that both physically and digitally focused businesses that adopt circular practices not only cut costs but also improve customer loyalty and brand perception (read more about the benefits and implementations here). A circular economy should matter to any business because it’s more than a physical product approach — it’s a mindset shift.

While the circular economy is easier to understand in the context of physical product development, it is just as important for efficient, sustainable digital product development. Digital waste is still waste, and the energy usage of digital businesses impacts the physical world dramatically. For example, one study found that the water used to construct and operate AI data centers is estimated to be “accountable for 4.2 – 6.6 billion cubic meters of water withdrawal in 2027, which is more than the total annual water withdrawal of half of the United Kingdom.”

Just like manufacturers of physical products, digital and service-based businesses can stay ahead of evolving consumer expectations and reduce operational costs by adopting circular economy principles for the digital space.

How to Integrate a Circular Economy Into Your Business

Audit Your Waste

• Partner with an e-waste recycling organization to responsibly dispose of old tech when your company provides new laptops for its team.
• Reduce redundancy in your organization by consolidating software, like project management tools.
• When packaging products for an order, replace non-renewable packing materials with paper or molded pulp.

Invest in Design for Longevity

• Create products with extended life cycles or that can easily be upgraded or disassembled and recycled.
• Transfer your web hosting to a green hosting provider.
• Limit your use of AI where possible.

Collaborate With Partners

• Join circular economy networks or work with suppliers that share your vision.
• Incorporate partnership marketing into your 2025 marketing strategy for greater visibility, higher brand loyalty, and reduced marketing spending because of cost-sharing.
• Lead and contribute to open-source software initiatives for better resource allocation and reduced duplication.

Sustainable Business Trend 2:

Businesses Research and Establish Sustainable AI Use Cases

What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Google defines artificial intelligence (AI) as a “field of science concerned with building computers and machines that can reason, learn, and act in such a way that would normally require human intelligence or that involves data whose scale exceeds what humans can analyze.” AI has revolutionized industries by increasing the capacity to provide stakeholders and customers with data-driven insights. New AI technology has helped many businesses optimize their operations, enhance decision-making, and unlock innovation to open pathways to greater accessibility and scale for continued growth.

 Technology can provide data-driven insights, enabling businesses to make smarter, faster decisions and track progress toward climate and ESG goals.

Why Does Sustainable AI Matter?

AI doesn’t seem to be going away; in fact, it seems to grow more popular with each passing day. With this growth and potential for new business opportunities comes concerning environmental impacts. Training large language and other AI models consumes significant amount of energy and water, requires rare materials that are not mined sustainably and responsibly, and can produce hazardous electronic waste.

Yes, AI can help organizations more accurately predict and track progress toward their climate and ESG goal. But businesses now face the dual responsibility of utilizing AI efficiently while aligning it with sustainability goals. Businesses and individuals alike need to determine how to responsibly and sustainably use this tool in different areas of their business and lives.

Businesses have started publishing their AI usage policies to track consumption, guide their decision-making, and remain accountable to sustainability goals. Whatever your business’ AI policy currently looks like, keep in mind that consumers desire transparency. An AI framework, when possible, should prioritize practices that minimize environmental footprint and align with broader sustainability goals in a detailed and transparent manner.

How to Implement Sustainable AI Practices in Your Business

Adopt an AI Policy

• Use a framework, like the Corporate Digital Responsibility Manifesto, as a guide to inform your company’s AI policy. Make sure the policy aligns with your vision and values.
• Integrate a way to track metrics and progress toward sustainability goals into the policy. This promotes accountability among employees and leadership, and transparency builds consumer trust.

Use AI as a Way to Decrease Environmental Impact

• Optimize energy usage with an AI-powered energy management system to analyze usage patterns, minimize waste, and reduce carbon footprints in both manufacturing facilities and office spaces.
• For product-driven businesses, AI can forecast demand, optimize transportation routes, and reduce material overordering. This AI use case minimizes emissions and resource waste and cuts down on transportation emissions.

Sustainable Business Trend 3:

Net Zero and Carbon Negative Commitments Increase Across Global Businesses

What Does It Mean to Be Net Zero or Carbon Negative?

As climate change accelerates, businesses face increased pressure from regulators, customers, and investors to adopt aggressive climate action frameworks. Net zero refers to when businesses balance the amount of greenhouse gases emitted with an equivalent amount removed from the atmosphere. Going a step further, carbon-negative businesses actively reduce atmospheric CO2 beyond their emissions. Businesses across industries ought to take decisive steps toward reducing and offsetting their carbon footprints, especially amidst increasing consumer pressure and climate urgency.

Why Does Being Net Zero or Carbon Negative Matter?

The trend toward net-zero or carbon-negative status isn’t just about compliance or environmental stewardship. Yes, there’s been an increase in worldwide environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations and initiatives. But companies that choose to implement ESG frameworks of their own volition signal leadership, responsibility, and innovation in a way that quickly gives them a competitive advantage over less proactive competitors.

Furthermore, a company’s ESG commitment is no longer only relevant to consumers; it also affects employment and workforce health. A survey from IBM uncovered that 49% of respondents “paid a premium — on average 59% more — for products branded as sustainable or socially responsible” and that two-thirds of respondents were more willing to apply for and accept jobs from “organizations they consider to be environmentally sustainable.” All in all, companies that commit to net zero, carbon negative, and other concrete sustainability goals can unlock cost savings, attract eco-conscious consumers and employees alike, and stay ahead of increasingly stringent regulations.

• Use a carbon footprint calculator, like the one from Terrapass, or partner with a consultancy group to determine your baseline and areas for improvement.
• After calculating your carbon footprint, partner with an organization like Carbon Checkout to offset emissions from your business.
• Shift toward green marketing and business operations that rely on green and eco-conscious platform

How to Integrate Net Zero or Carbon Negative Practices Into Your Business

• Use a carbon footprint calculator, like the one from Terrapass, or partner with a consultancy group to determine your baseline and areas for improvement.
• After calculating your carbon footprint, partner with an organization like Carbon Checkout to offset emissions from your business.
• Shift toward green marketing and business operations that rely on green and eco-conscious platforms.

Sustainability is Essential for Business Growth in 2025

Sustainability in business is no longer an optional pursuit but a critical component of long-term growth and consumer trust. These sustainability trends for 2025 make it clear that to stay competitive, businesses must integrate sustainable practices across their operations — whether through circular economy strategies, carbon reduction commitments, or responsible AI use. By taking proactive steps now, businesses not only align their operations with the values of their consumers but also build a more resilient and future-proof organization that will be prepared for incoming environmental and AI regulations. The time to start embedding these trends into your strategy is now, as they will define the most successful and sustainable businesses in the years to come.

At Mane Impact, we specialize in creating customized marketing and design strategies that align with your unique business model and sustainability goals. Ready to strengthen your sustainability efforts and build a brand that thrives? Contact Mane Impact today to help you kickstart your sustainable marketing initiatives and build a thriving and impactful business.