Sustainability Tags

OVERVIEW

What is this field?

The Sustainability Tags field captures environmental, ethical, and social responsibility attributes of a product. These tags communicate how a product was made, what it is made from, and what values it represents.

Sustainability claims must be specific and verifiable. Generic claims like “eco-friendly” without supporting detail can damage trust and may run afoul of greenwashing regulations.

This field should contain structured, specific tags that describe verifiable sustainability attributes.

BUSINESS VALUE

Why this field matters

• A growing percentage of consumers actively filter for sustainable products

• Regulatory bodies are increasing scrutiny on unsubstantiated sustainability claims

• AI-powered shopping assistants use sustainability data to match eco-conscious queries

• Sustainability tags enable dedicated collections and marketing campaigns

• Specific sustainability claims differentiate products from competitors

• Retail partners increasingly require sustainability data for product listings

TECHNICAL SETUP

Recommended setup

Field type: List of single-line text entries (multi-select)

Namespace: custom.product

Key: sustainability_tags

Multi-value: Yes — allow multiple entries where applicable

STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH

How to create the Sustainability Tags field in Accentuate

Follow these steps to create and configure this metafield in your Accentuate dashboard.

Step 1: Navigate to metafield definitions

Open your Accentuate dashboard and go to the metafield definitions section. Select the "Product" resource type to add a new product-level metafield.

Accentuate dashboard — navigate to Product metafield definitions

Step 2: Create a new metafield

Click the "Add definition" or "Create metafield" button. Enter the namespace "custom.product" and the key "sustainability_tags". Set the display name to "Sustainability Tags".

Click “Add field” to create the “Sustainability Tags” metafield

Step 3: Select the field type

Set the field type to "List of single-line text entries (multi-select)". Enable the "List" or multi-value option so merchants can enter multiple values.

Select the data type for “Sustainability Tags”

Step 4: Configure validation and description

Add a helpful description for merchants: "Environmental, ethical, and social responsibility attributes of this product (e.g., Organic, Recycled content, Fair trade)." This will appear as helper text when merchants edit the field on a product.

Description and validation settings for “Sustainability Tags”

Step 5: Save and verify

Save the metafield definition. Then navigate to any product and confirm that the "Sustainability Tags" field appears in the metafields section, ready to accept values.

The “Sustainability Tags” field visible on a product editing page, empty and ready

STRUCTURING GUIDANCE

How to structure the values

Use specific, verifiable terms. “Organic cotton (GOTS certified)” is better than “eco-friendly.”

Separate material-related claims from production-related claims.

If a tag refers to a certification, name the certification explicitly.

Be prepared to substantiate any sustainability claim. If you cannot verify it, do not tag it.

Consider the entire product lifecycle: materials, manufacturing, packaging, end-of-life.

Use consistent terminology catalog-wide.

USAGE CONTEXT

When to use this field

• Products made with certified organic, recycled, or responsibly sourced materials

• Products from fair trade or ethically certified supply chains

• Products with reduced environmental impact in packaging or shipping

• Products designed for longevity, repairability, or circular fashion

• Vegan or cruelty-free products where this is a verified claim

• Any product where sustainability is a meaningful part of the brand story

REFERENCE VALUES

Example values

The following values are recommended starting points. Adapt them to your product catalog as needed.

Value	When to use
Organic	Made from organically grown fibers; specify certification (e.g., GOTS)
Recycled content	Contains materials reclaimed from pre- or post-consumer waste
100% recycled	Entire product made from recycled materials
Vegan	Contains no animal-derived materials
Cruelty-free	No animal testing in any stage of production
Low-impact dyes	Dyed using processes that reduce water, chemicals, or pollution
Biodegradable	Materials decompose naturally under appropriate conditions
Plastic-free packaging	Ships without any single-use plastic packaging
Ethically manufactured	Made in facilities with verified fair labor practices
Fair trade certified	Produced under fair trade standards; workers receive fair wages
Locally made	Manufactured within the same country or region as the primary market
Carbon-neutral / Carbon-conscious	Production carbon footprint is offset or minimized
OEKO-TEX certified	Tested and certified free from harmful substances
Bluesign approved	Responsible resource management throughout the supply chain
Made to last / Durable design	Designed for longevity with reinforced construction
Deadstock fabric	Made from surplus fabric that would otherwise go to waste

The “Sustainability Tags” field populated with example values

RECOMMENDATIONS

Best practices

• Only tag what you can verify — unsubstantiated claims erode trust

• Name specific certifications rather than generic claims

• Update sustainability tags as supply chain practices change

• Combine sustainability tags with material data for a complete picture

• Create a dedicated sustainability collection powered by these tags

• Educate your team on what each tag means for consistent application

AVOID THESE

Common mistakes

• Using “eco-friendly” or “green” as standalone tags without specifics

• Claiming “sustainable” without specifying which aspect

• Not updating tags when certifications expire or supply chains change

• Greenwashing: applying tags to products with minimal actual sustainability attributes

• Using different terms for the same concept across products

• Ignoring packaging sustainability while tagging product materials as sustainable

IN CONTEXT

Example: How it appears on a product

Women’s Recycled Down Puffer Jacket Sustainability: Recycled content, OEKO-TEX certified, Plastic-free packaging, Ethically manufactured Material: Recycled nylon shell, Recycled down fill Season: Winter, Cold weather Care: Machine wash cold, Tumble dry low with tennis balls

Sustainability Tags data displayed on the storefront via Custom Liquid