As we celebrate Earth Day on 22 April 2025, the global call to action is clear: "Our Power, Our Planet". This year's theme underscores the collective responsibility of individuals, businesses, and governments to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and sustainable practices.
In the loyalty programme sector, sustainability is no longer a peripheral concern but a central tenet of customer engagement. Consumers increasingly expect brands to reflect their environmental values, with studies indicating that 87% of customers believe companies should have a strong environmental agenda, and 70% prefer to engage with brands that share their environmental values.
As brands around the world mark Earth Day 2025, there’s never been a more important time to examine how loyalty programmes can evolve to support sustainability. Loyalty isn’t just about rewarding repeat purchases, it’s about building long-term relationships. And increasingly, customers want those relationships to reflect their values.
The Sustainability Expectation Gap
Today’s consumers are more environmentally aware than ever:
- 78% consider sustainability important in their purchase decisions (IBM & NRF, 2023)
- 66% say they are more likely to stay loyal to brands that are environmentally responsible (Capgemini, 2023)
- 73% are willing to change consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact (Nielsen, 2023)
Yet in loyalty, there’s a clear gap between consumer values and programme design:
- Only 20% of loyalty programmes currently offer eco-conscious rewards or green redemption options (Stream Loyalty, 2024)
- Nearly half of all members (48%) say they’d prefer to redeem points for sustainable rewards or charitable donations (LoyaltyOne, 2022)
The Environmental Cost of Traditional Loyalty Tactics
Sustainability isn’t just about what you reward, it’s also about how you run your programme:
- Over 3 billion plastic loyalty cards are produced globally each year, each with a footprint of around 50g CO₂e (GreenPrint, 2022)
- 60% of promotional merchandise ends up discarded within a year (ASI Central, 2023)
From plastic cards and printed catalogues to physical fulfilment and short-lived giveaways, traditional tactics often conflict with a brand’s wider sustainability goals.
Re-imagining Loyalty with Sustainability in Mind
Loyalty teams are uniquely placed to drive meaningful change, both internally and with their members. Here are five ways to align your programme with Earth Day and beyond:
1. Go Digital-First – Switch from plastic to app-based or digital wallets. It’s not only more sustainable, it’s more convenient for members, and easier to update in real time.
2. Offer Eco-Conscious Rewards – Add options like:
- Tree planting
- Carbon offsetting
- Donations to environmental charities
- Local sustainable products or refill schemes
3. Reward Sustainable Behaviours – Encourage activities like recycling, using refill stations, or choosing slower delivery options with bonus points or tier incentives.
4. Educate and Empower Members - Use your loyalty platform to share insights about environmental impact and empower members to make greener choices with their rewards.
5. Collaborate with Like-Minded Partners - Look for B Corps, eco-certifications, or local ethical brands to integrate into your reward portfolio.
Small Steps, Big Impact
Loyalty programmes have incredible reach and influence. By embedding sustainability into programme mechanics and messaging, brands can not only meet the expectations of today’s conscious consumer, but also make a real contribution to a better future.
Empowering Sustainable Loyalty with Stream Loyalty; Our Commitment to Sustainability
Stream Loyalty is at the forefront of integrating sustainability into loyalty programmes. We work with brands to design loyalty programmes that are both commercially effective and ethically responsible. The company has set ambitious goals to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2030 and to offset its business's lifetime emissions by 2040. These targets are part of a broader commitment to align with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Key initiatives include:
- People: Implementing an intelligent working policy that allows team members to work flexibly and remotely, reducing commuting emissions. The company also offers personalised benefits and learning opportunities to support employee development.
- Planet: Collaborating with Ecologi to calculate and monitor emissions, introducing a home working emissions calculator, and committing to reduce waste and increase recycling efforts. Stream Loyalty is transiting to electric vehicles for directors over the next three years, two having already made the switch.
- Profit: Reinvesting profits into developing services and products, supporting local charities financially and with resources, and ensuring fair compensation through a Living Wage commitment.
Innovating Sustainable Loyalty; Leading by Example
Stream takes its environmental responsibility seriously. As a small business in a growing sector, our profits have traditionally been re-invested back into developing our services and products for the following years. Since 2019, we have been looking at how we can use our profits, both to ensure the future of the business and to give back to local communities, organisations and charities. Furthermore Stream offers its clients options for improving the environmental impact of their loyalty programmes.
1) Stream Loyalty's approach to sustainable loyalty programmes includes offering eco-friendly rewards, such as discounts on sustainable products, and encouraging customers to engage in environmentally conscious behaviours. The company also emphasises transparent supply chain management and continuous improvement to ensure that sustainability remains integral to its operations.
2) Stream collaborates with Ecologi, a platform for real climate action. Ecologi facilitates the funding of carbon offset projects and tree planting around the world. Their mission is to reduce 50% of global CO2 emissions by 2040 and responsibly plant billions of trees every year. This collaboration has resulted in the following positive net zero contribution for the month of March; we have planted 381 trees and offset 4191 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Find out more on Stream's approach to sustainability here.
3) In addition, in recognition of the importance of sustainability in customer engagement, Stream Loyalty sponsored the Best Eco-Loyalty Initiative Award at the International Loyalty Awards. This sponsorship highlights the company's dedication to promoting environmental responsibility within the loyalty sector.
Stream Loyalty’s 28 Day Challenge!
Small Changes, Big Impact: Challenge yourself to make an impact within just 28 days.
Stream challenges you to Join us on our 28 Day Challenge to live a more sustainable life and operate in a more sustainable workplace. Just fill in the form on our website to join the challenge and, for 28 days, we will send you 1 daily email with a quick tip on how to make a sustainable improvement. Each daily challenge is based around one of the three pillars of sustainability - People, Planet, Profit. Alongside the daily challenge we will provide you with tips on how to successfully embed sustainability into a loyalty programme.
Don't worry, the challenge isn't designed to cost you money or cause you unnecessary extra work. We know how time poor everyone is, but we wanted to give everyone some small changes to make to their daily lives that would result in making their work and home more sustainable.
Conclusion
As Earth Day 2025 approaches, Stream Loyalty exemplifies how businesses can integrate sustainability into their core operations and customer engagement strategies. By aligning loyalty programmes with environmental values, companies not only contribute to a healthier planet but also build deeper, more meaningful connections with their customers.
If you’d like a sustainability audit of your current programme or ideas to integrate greener rewards, we’d love to talk. For more information on Stream Loyalty's sustainability initiatives, visit our Sustainability page.