Greener Products: The Making and Marketing of Sustainable Brands

by Al Iannuzzi

Overview

Sustainability and its competitive advantage are the goals of every company and any brand that wants to stay successful in the marketplace. Customers also gravitate to brands that manage sustainability issues well. Greener Products: The Making and Marketing of Sustainable Brands written by a renowned sustainability expert, continues to address the latest developments in the extremely fast-moving field of sustainability. The third edition is thoroughly updated, introduces new case studies, and includes a new chapter on natural capital cost accounting. With over 40 case studies, it explores the best practices of leading global companies and helps readers learn what it is that makes them successful.

New in the Third Edition:

• Presents, in a practical way, the best practices of sustainable brands in a global economy.
• Addresses the most current sustainability topics like circular economy, plastics in the environment, biodiversity, climate change, green chemistry etc.
• Includes current marketing information on consumer trends to purchase greener products.
• Incorporates the latest pressures on companies to address sustainability, retailer programs, business-to-business expectations, ESG rating, rankers, and stock funds.
• Covers best practices of companies from various industries on how to make and market greener products.
• Provides current tools for making products more sustainable and methods on how to market sustainable improvements.

This book serves senior undergraduate and graduate students in programs focused on sustainability, as well as academics and corporate sustainability leaders. The previous versions have been used to teach courses such as Introduction to Graduate Studies on Sustainability, Product Improvement, Introduction to Sustainability, Environmental Compliance and Sustainability, and Sustainability Policy. Any university that teaches a course on sustainability would benefit from the new edition of this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032579856
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	08/21/2024
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Al Iannuzzi is Vice President of Sustainability at The Estée Lauder Companies where he leads enterprise-wide efforts and establishes and executes sustainability goals and objectives. He also oversees environmental sustainability programs, human rights, ESG ratings, product sustainability, and climate and energy initiatives. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University, where he teaches Product Improvement and Sustainability. Al has more than 35 years of experience in the Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability field. Before working at The Estée Lauder Companies, he worked for Johnson & Johnson, where he led Design for the Environment and Green Marketing programs and developed sustainability strategies for the Consumer Product, Medical Device, and pharmaceutical sectors. He served as the chief architect of the Earthwards® greener product development program. Al has also worked as an environmental consultant and as a regulator for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Al has authored three books and has written numerous articles on sustainability and product stewardship.

Table of Contents

Section I: The Case for Greener Products. 1. Introduction.  2. Market Drivers for Greener Products.  3. Regulatory Drivers for Greener Products. Section II: Making Greener Products.  4. Greener Product Design Examples.  5. Sustainable Innovation and Tools for Product Sustainability.  6. Biodiversity and Natural Captial.  Section III: Marketing Greener Products.  7. Green Marketing.  8. Consumer Interest in Green Purchases Continues to Grow.  9. Marketing Green: Best Practices from OgilvyEarth.  10. Aspects of Green Marketing.  11. Best Practices and Conclusions. 

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Creating a sustainable society will depend in large part on reducing the environmental impacts of making, distributing and using products and of disposing of them at the end of their useful life. Every product company that hopes to have a role in our future is going to have figure out how to do this. They now have an excellent guide in a new book called Greener Products: The Making and Marketing of Sustainable Brands, by Al Iannuzzi. ... The book is distinguished by its comprehensive scope, which ranges from the drivers of green product development, to the methods for developing greener products, through advice for marketing those products effectively. ... for those new to this topic, or any marketer, product developer, consultant or product-company executive who wants an efficient way of getting a comprehensive overview of this field, which is becoming a pillar of successful business, this book is a valuable resource.
—David Schatsky, Sustainable Brands, Jan 2012

Al Iannuzzi is the Senior Director of Product Stewardship and Green Marketing at J&J, and has been the chief architect of the company’s efforts to design greener products. Now he has published a book that shares his accumulated wisdom, and is relevant to all manufacturing industries. ... Using clear, everyday language, the book describes the emerging market and regulatory forces that are driving companies toward development of green products. ... Overall, the book makes a persuasive case that the making and marketing of greener products is a business imperative, and it will be a valuable addition to any manager’s bookshelf.
—Joseph Fiksel, Center for Resilience at the Ohio State University, author of Design for Environment

Al Iannuzzi offers a detailed and persuasive case for incorporating sustainability into your business model. ... his writing is firmly situated in the language of business — making it a useful resource for both business leaders and students ... Taking this kind of pragmatic, open approach to sustainable business offers an entry point for leaders who are new to sustainability and exploring different pathways to it. ... Iannuzzi’s discussion on emerging issues was especially useful. ... Whether new to the field or seeking ideas for further improvement, Iannuzzi’s work is both highly informative and accessible — and will no doubt prove to be a useful resource for anyone interested in sustainable business practices.
—Jacquelyn Ottman, J. Ottman Consulting, on greenmarketing.com/blog

With Greener Products, Al Iannuzzi has taken a crucial next step in sustainability, spotlighting best practices, offering a clear-headed look at the business case, and identifying the forces that will matter for the next decade.
—Daniel Goleman, author of Ecological Intelligence

Green is the new black. To say this differently, sustainable products increasingly stand out in the marketplace, translating into faster sales, greater profitability, and deeper brand loyalty. Iannuzzi and his co-authors show the way to this future.
—Dan Esty, Hillhouse Professor, Yale University, and co-author of Green to Gold

The pressures on companies to ‘go green’ and be more sustainable are real and growing. But it's now more than just greening operations; it's also about creating more sustainable products and services. We'll need companies to take this mission seriously, and Al Iannuzzi from J&J does. It's refreshing to see an executive at a leading consumer products company take a larger view of sustainability and advocate for the benefits of greener products.
—Andrew Winston, author of Green Recovery and co-author of Green to Gold

It’s people like Al Iannuzzi who get me out of bed each day. That may sound a bit flip or hyperbolic, but it’s true: I am excited and energized by the environmental professionals at some of the world’s largest brands who have devoted their careers to helping their companies align environmental responsibility with business success. In Al’s case, this has been a three-decade-long quest, one that has contributed mightily to placing his employer, Johnson & Johnson, consistently among the world’s most admired companies.
—From the Foreword by Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com, and author of Strategies for the Green Economy

As the head of product stewardship at J&J Al Iannuzzi is in a unique position to provide insights into what it takes for multinational companies to develop and market the greener products that today’s mainstream consumers seek. Especially effective are the in-depth case examples of greener products.
—Jacquelyn Ottman, green marketing expert and author of The New Rules of Green Marketing: Strategies, Tools and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding

A myriad of regulatory, market, and consumer pressures are driving product manufacturers and retailers towards safer products. While many business texts have focused on business sustainability from a case based or theoretical level, none has offered insights on the drivers for safer chemicals and products and the lessons learned from leading firms. With years of on-the-ground experience in industry Al Iannuzzi builds a compelling case for safer products and provides examples from leaders in the field. His vision combined with practical lessons learned provides critical insights for business leaders and students of chemistry, design, health and safety and management.
—Joel Tickner, Director Chemicals Science and Policy Initiative and Director Green Chemistry and Commerce Council, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Excellent book! Sheds new and important light on the business case for why companies must provide greener and more sustainable products, as well as best practices for marketing greener products. Al Iannuzzi’s book will be of interest to corporations that desire to present new insights on how best to make greener products and for those of us in higher education, who seek to prepare the next generation of business leadership on now to make and market sustainable brands as part of a comprehensive strategy to achieve competitive advantage.
—Robert L. Lattimer, Senior Fellow, Diversity Studies, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University Chair, Board of Directors, American Society for Competitiveness (ASC)

As sustainability becomes more deeply embedded in business planning and operations, there is a growing need for improved methods, best practices and tools to deliver higher levels of performance and value. The realization is setting in that global companies must take greater ownership of their value chains. Such ownership opens the door for transformational leadership and innovation that can increasingly structure the benefits of more sustainable products into the value proposition offered to customers. Sustainable products will rise or fall depending on their ability to achieve market scale, and the authors have provided a highly valuable and timely synthesis for how to effectively manage the transition towards the making and marketing of sustainable brands.
—Terry F. Yosie, President and CEO, World Environment Center, Washington, D.C.

Greener Products is an excellent resource for anyone interested in gaining business value from eco-improved products. The numerous best practices and case studies give relevant design and marketing strategies that will benefit any business interested in bringing greener products to market. Students and practitioners will learn about the latest tools and techniques used by leading companies to make sustainable products and they will benefit from analysis of market trend data and learn about the best methods for communicating the benefits of sustainable brands. This is the only book I am aware of that combines both the concept of sustainable design and green marketing.
—Marc J. Epstein, Distinguished Research Professor of Management, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University, Houston, Texas

Al has put together a comprehensive resource covering all aspects of the greening of the marketplace, why green products are important and will grow in importance, how to implement green product development, and how to market the results. The use of case studies summarizing real-world examples allows a comprehensive look into the current best practices. This book will be valuable to anyone seeking to understand the complexities of creating and selling more sustainable products. Great examples and practical commentary.
—Pat Meyer, Senior Product Steward–Plastics, BASF Corporation, Wyandotte, Michigan

Much of the focus of the sustainability debate to date has been on production systems. Better factories, better farms, better logistics, better raw material sourcing. All in their own right vitally important building blocks of a sustainable economy. What the authors do though so persuasively is to remind us that sustainability is as much a challenge of consumption as it is of production. They lay out clearly the business strategies for making sustainability a product and consumer led mission, looking at businesses in the way they look at themselves.
—Mike Barry, Head of Sustainable Business, Marks & Spencer

Greener Products presents a powerful argument for innovative solutions that deliver environmental benefits and market results. The use of real-life examples drawn from experience across multiple industry sectors enables organizations like ours to benchmark against other leading companies. Anyone with ‘sustainability’ in their title is fortunate that Al Iannuzzi has willingly shared the insights and wisdom collected over a long career with all of us.
—David V. Spitzley, Product Sustainability Manager, Kimberly-Clark

The New England Board of Higher Education endorses Greener Products: The Making and Marketing of Sustainable Brands, written by Iannuzzi, because it will be a significant asset for use in science, engineering and business classrooms not only in New England but across the country and beyond. If we are going to be successful in protecting our finite natural resources and environment, by developing new and improved greener products, students will need to be educated about the best practices and challenges before us. This book will be an excellent resource.
—Fenna D. Hanes, Sr. Director of Professional & Resource Development, New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE)

Greener Products provides a very readable overview of the diverse issues associated with greener product development and marketing. Of note is the excellent compendium of examples of how companies are approaching product sustainability and sustainable innovation. Al's insight into tackling the 'how to do' issues associated with organisational implementation backed by a range of cases from industry is particularly useful. Greener Products would be an excellent addition to any business sustainability practitioner’s or student’s bookshelf.
—Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design, UCA, UK

This book is a great introduction to the complexities of the green economy. Whether you are just beginning to design, build, market, or buy greener products and services, you need to read this book.
—Scot Case, co-author of the Sins of Greenwashing report

We’ve come a long way since the days when ‘green products’ meant higher cost, less functional offerings intended to ‘guilt trip’ you into buying them. Al Iannuzzi takes his many years of corporate experience and shows how to make green products part of the company’s DNA through innovation in product design, new product development, marketing, and ultimately, brand building.
—Stuart L. Hart, Cornell University, author of Capitalism at the Crossroads

This book is well aligned with the STEM PBL [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math Problem Based Learning] project that is designed to engage students in STEM disciplines with a focus on sustainable technologies.
—STEM PBL News, Spring 2012, Issue 4

Editorial Reviews

Creating a sustainable society will depend in large part on reducing the environmental impacts of making, distributing and using products and of disposing of them at the end of their useful life. Every product company that hopes to have a role in our future is going to have figure out how to do this. They now have an excellent guide in a new book called Greener Products: The Making and Marketing of Sustainable Brands, by Al Iannuzzi. ... The book is distinguished by its comprehensive scope, which ranges from the drivers of green product development, to the methods for developing greener products, through advice for marketing those products effectively. ... for those new to this topic, or any marketer, product developer, consultant or product-company executive who wants an efficient way of getting a comprehensive overview of this field, which is becoming a pillar of successful business, this book is a valuable resource.
—David Schatsky, Sustainable Brands, Jan 2012

"The book is distinguished by its comprehensive scope, which ranges from the drivers of green product development, to the methods for developing greener products, through advice for marketing those products effectively."
—Green Research

Al Iannuzzi is the Senior Director of Product Stewardship and Green Marketing at J&J, and has been the chief architect of the company’s efforts to design greener products. Now he has published a book that shares his accumulated wisdom, and is relevant to all manufacturing industries. ... Using clear, everyday language, the book describes the emerging market and regulatory forces that are driving companies toward development of green products. ... Overall, the book makes a persuasive case that the making and marketing of greener products is a business imperative, and it will be a valuable addition to any manager’s bookshelf.
—Joseph Fiksel, Center for Resilience at the Ohio State University, author of Design for Environment

Al Iannuzzi offers a detailed and persuasive case for incorporating sustainability into your business model. ... his writing is firmly situated in the language of business — making it a useful resource for both business leaders and students ... Taking this kind of pragmatic, open approach to sustainable business offers an entry point for leaders who are new to sustainability and exploring different pathways to it. ... Iannuzzi’s discussion on emerging issues was especially useful. ... Whether new to the field or seeking ideas for further improvement, Iannuzzi’s work is both highly informative and accessible — and will no doubt prove to be a useful resource for anyone interested in sustainable business practices.
—Jacquelyn Ottman, J. Ottman Consulting, on greenmarketing.com/blog

With Greener Products, Al Iannuzzi has taken a crucial next step in sustainability, spotlighting best practices, offering a clear-headed look at the business case, and identifying the forces that will matter for the next decade.
—Daniel Goleman, author of Ecological Intelligence

Green is the new black. To say this differently, sustainable products increasingly stand out in the marketplace, translating into faster sales, greater profitability, and deeper brand loyalty. Iannuzzi and his co-authors show the way to this future.
—Dan Esty, Hillhouse Professor, Yale University, and co-author of Green to Gold

The pressures on companies to ‘go green’ and be more sustainable are real and growing. But it's now more than just greening operations; it's also about creating more sustainable products and services. We'll need companies to take this mission seriously, and Al Iannuzzi from J&J does. It's refreshing to see an executive at a leading consumer products company take a larger view of sustainability and advocate for the benefits of greener products.
—Andrew Winston, author of Green Recovery and co-author of Green to Gold

It’s people like Al Iannuzzi who get me out of bed each day. That may sound a bit flip or hyperbolic, but it’s true: I am excited and energized by the environmental professionals at some of the world’s largest brands who have devoted their careers to helping their companies align environmental responsibility with business success. In Al’s case, this has been a three-decade-long quest, one that has contributed mightily to placing his employer, Johnson & Johnson, consistently among the world’s most admired companies.
—From the Foreword by Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com, and author of Strategies for the Green Economy

As the head of product stewardship at J&J Al Iannuzzi is in a unique position to provide insights into what it takes for multinational companies to develop and market the greener products that today’s mainstream consumers seek. Especially effective are the in-depth case examples of greener products.
—Jacquelyn Ottman, green marketing expert and author of The New Rules of Green Marketing: Strategies, Tools and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding

A myriad of regulatory, market, and consumer pressures are driving product manufacturers and retailers towards safer products. While many business texts have focused on business sustainability from a case based or theoretical level, none has offered insights on the drivers for safer chemicals and products and the lessons learned from leading firms. With years of on-the-ground experience in industry Al Iannuzzi builds a compelling case for safer products and provides examples from leaders in the field. His vision combined with practical lessons learned provides critical insights for business leaders and students of chemistry, design, health and safety and management.
—Joel Tickner, Director Chemicals Science and Policy Initiative and Director Green Chemistry and Commerce Council, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Excellent book! Sheds new and important light on the business case for why companies must provide greener and more sustainable products, as well as best practices for marketing greener products. Al Iannuzzi’s book will be of interest to corporations that desire to present new insights on how best to make greener products and for those of us in higher education, who seek to prepare the next generation of business leadership on now to make and market sustainable brands as part of a comprehensive strategy to achieve competitive advantage.
—Robert L. Lattimer, Senior Fellow, Diversity Studies, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University
Chair, Board of Directors, American Society for Competitiveness (ASC)

As sustainability becomes more deeply embedded in business planning and operations, there is a growing need for improved methods, best practices and tools to deliver higher levels of performance and value. The realization is setting in that global companies must take greater ownership of their value chains. Such ownership opens the door for transformational leadership and innovation that can increasingly structure the benefits of more sustainable products into the value proposition offered to customers. Sustainable products will rise or fall depending on their ability to achieve market scale, and the authors have provided a highly valuable and timely synthesis for how to effectively manage the transition towards the making and marketing of sustainable brands.
—Terry F. Yosie, President and CEO, World Environment Center, Washington, D.C.

Greener Products is an excellent resource for anyone interested in gaining business value from eco-improved products. The numerous best practices and case studies give relevant design and marketing strategies that will benefit any business interested in bringing greener products to market. Students and practitioners will learn about the latest tools and techniques used by leading companies to make sustainable products and they will benefit from analysis of market trend data and learn about the best methods for communicating the benefits of sustainable brands. This is the only book I am aware of that combines both the concept of sustainable design and green marketing.
—Marc J. Epstein, Distinguished Research Professor of Management, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University, Houston, Texas

Al has put together a comprehensive resource covering all aspects of the greening of the marketplace, why green products are important and will grow in importance, how to implement green product development, and how to market the results. The use of case studies summarizing real-world examples allows a comprehensive look into the current best practices. This book will be valuable to anyone seeking to understand the complexities of creating and selling more sustainable products. Great examples and practical commentary.
—Pat Meyer, Senior Product Steward–Plastics, BASF Corporation, Wyandotte, Michigan

Much of the focus of the sustainability debate to date has been on production systems. Better factories, better farms, better logistics, better raw material sourcing. All in their own right vitally important building blocks of a sustainable economy. What the authors do though so persuasively is to remind us that sustainability is as much a challenge of consumption as it is of production. They lay out clearly the business strategies for making sustainability a product and consumer led mission, looking at businesses in the way they look at themselves.
—Mike Barry, Head of Sustainable Business, Marks & Spencer

Greener Products presents a powerful argument for innovative solutions that deliver environmental benefits and market results. The use of real-life examples drawn from experience across multiple industry sectors enables organizations like ours to benchmark against other leading companies. Anyone with ‘sustainability’ in their title is fortunate that Al Iannuzzi has willingly shared the insights and wisdom collected over a long career with all of us.
—David V. Spitzley, Product Sustainability Manager, Kimberly-Clark

The New England Board of Higher Education endorses Greener Products: The Making and Marketing of Sustainable Brands, written by Iannuzzi, because it will be a significant asset for use in science, engineering and business classrooms not only in New England but across the country and beyond. If we are going to be successful in protecting our finite natural resources and environment, by developing new and improved greener products, students will need to be educated about the best practices and challenges before us. This book will be an excellent resource.
—Fenna D. Hanes, Sr. Director of Professional & Resource Development, New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE)

Greener Products provides a very readable overview of the diverse issues associated with greener product development and marketing. Of note is the excellent compendium of examples of how companies are approaching product sustainability and sustainable innovation. Al's insight into tackling the 'how to do' issues associated with organisational implementation backed by a range of cases from industry is particularly useful. Greener Products would be an excellent addition to any business sustainability practitioner’s or student’s bookshelf.
—Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design, UCA, UK

This book is a great introduction to the complexities of the green economy. Whether you are just beginning to design, build, market, or buy greener products and services, you need to read this book.
—Scot Case, co-author of the Sins of Greenwashing report

We’ve come a long way since the days when ‘green products’ meant higher cost, less functional offerings intended to ‘guilt trip’ you into buying them. Al Iannuzzi takes his many years of corporate experience and shows how to make green products part of the company’s DNA through innovation in product design, new product development, marketing, and ultimately, brand building.
—Stuart L. Hart, Cornell University, author of Capitalism at the Crossroads

This book is well aligned with the STEM PBL [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math Problem Based Learning] project that is designed to engage students in STEM disciplines with a focus on sustainable technologies.
—STEM PBL News, Spring 2012, Issue 4

"This book is an excellent resource for both new and experienced product/marketing professionals written by an experienced professional with deep roots obtained from field earned knowledge. I have heard Al speak twice about Johnson & Johnson Earthwards® program which is just one of the many insightful mini-case studies covered in this 2nd edition and he and his colleagues are making sustainability business as usual.
The impetus for this book was to provide a framework for the making and marketing of sustainable products within a company’s brand portfolio. It does a very nice job of creating and illustrating a framework that is easily understood and adapted for almost any organization.
The author provides a well-articulated story that integrates the need for, the design of, and manufacture of greener products with how to effectively create a meaningful, accurate story. A story that speaks to individual customers (B2C and B2B) and the communities impacted through the entire product supply chain and life cycle."
—International Society of Sustainability Professionals, 2018

From the Publisher