insights | 17.11.2025

Milton Keynes: Green city, green marketing

It’s official – Milton Keynes is one of the greenest cities in Britain!

There’s 15.42m² of park space for every ten residents, and 60% of household waste is sent for recycling – well above the UK average of 44%.

If you’re a Milton Keynes business, showcasing your own sustainability strategy can be a fantastic way of promoting your values to like-minded customers. In fact, 60% of UK shoppers buy from brands that reflect their personal beliefs.

However, it’s vital to do this in the right way.

Here’s how to incorporate sustainability into every asset of your marketing, while keeping your customers satisfied.

(Want to know more about running a sustainable eCommerce store? Check out this comprehensive guide!)

Article topics

Why it’s important to be sincere about sustainability
How to use marketing to showcase your green credentials

Why it’s important to be sincere about sustainability

Showing what your business is doing to be green can help increase sales and show customers why they should buy from you. However, it’s vital to be honest, transparent, and authenticate any claims you make.

Greenwashing is when an organisation makes false, misleading, or overly vague claims in order to present an environmentally responsible public image. For example, companies telling customers that their packaging can be recycled at home, when the reality is that councils won’t accept it.

(Check out this article for some more examples of larger companies that have got in trouble for greenwashing.)

The problem is that greenwashing is easy to do – nearly 60% of companies admit that they have been guilty of greenwashing, either now or in the past. And in the majority of cases, companies aren’t being intentionally deceptive; they’ve just not done their homework.

The results of greenwashing can have severe consequences for companies.

Not only can they get called out in the press if they are found out, but 36% of people say they would stop buying from a business if it was involved in greenwashing.

Here are some ways you can avoid greenwashing while continuing to provide sustainable products and services:

Set realistic sustainability goals. Don’t say you’ll be carbon neutral within the next twelve months if this isn’t likely to happen. Use SMART goals!
Document your environmental policy. Make it available on your website, or available to read on request. Update it at least once a year to reflect your latest efforts
Be clear in the language you use. It’s not enough to say something is eco-friendly or green and leave it at that – specify why this is the case
Steer clear of deceptive imagery. Don’t use excessive green imagery if your product or service offers no or few environmental benefits
Use tangible data. Support any claims with facts and statistics, linking towards the original source where possible
Be honest. It’s okay to tell your audience that you’re working towards a goal, or that you’ve got something wrong. Most customers will appreciate the transparency

It can also be worth gaining external accreditation to prove your sustainability efforts, although some accreditations are held in higher regard than others.

As a starting point, Milton Keynes City Council offers Target Zero accreditation for local businesses committed to reaching the goal of Net Zero by 2030.

How to use marketing to showcase your green credentials

If you’re taking steps to become a greener business, implementing sustainability into your marketing campaigns can tell customers what you do, what you’re aiming to achieve and build trust.

Here are some quick wins to help you get started:

1. Factor sustainability into your housekeeping and processes

By implementing sustainability into your marketing strategy from the very beginning, you’re more likely to see success and understand your environmental impact.

For example, you can:

Use a green hosting provider that prioritises sustainability. The Green Web Foundation has a comprehensive list of providers to get you started
Focus on digital-first marketing where possible, for example, online channels over advertising on billboards or in newspapers
Optimise your website to be as efficient as possible – for example, by compressing images and removing extensions you don’t use
Clean your email marketing list regularly to avoid sending emails to unused addresses
Only use AI chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT when absolutely necessary – ChatGPT can generate over 260,000 kg of carbon dioxide a month

Don’t forget to educate your staff so they can spread the word about how you’re working to become a greener business too. Implement sustainability into your onboarding and keep employees up to date through regular meetings and briefings.

2. Share your sustainability story online

Creating a page on your website that tells customers about your commitment to sustainability, including what you’ve achieved, the challenges you’re facing, and the ‘why’ behind what you’re doing, can go a long way in informing customers about your environmental efforts.

(Plus, it means you’re more likely to rank for relevant keyword searches.)

Here are some good examples of sustainability pages from Milton Keynes businesses to get you started:

To amplify your message, you can collaborate with other businesses that share the same goals as you. For example, you can feature eco-friendly suppliers or local stores that stock your products on your page.

3. Educate your audience and build trust

People want to learn more about sustainability initiatives, with nearly 80% of adults saying that learning about climate change should be part of the school curriculum.

By educating existing and prospective customers about green issues, you’re not only playing your role in making the world a better place, but promoting your expertise. And by building trust and authoritativeness, you can boost your search engine presence.

The great thing is, talking about sustainability doesn’t have to be boring. You can share your thoughts about environmental issues in an engaging and entertaining way.

(We love Sam Bentley’s TikTok account, which showcases environmental good news stories!)

Here’s how you can promote your business as a sustainability thought leader:

Create blog posts and other content that show customers that you’re committed to sustainability. Centre:MK has some great articles to inspire you
Share short videos on social media, showcasing your sustainable practices in action. These can come directly from you or from your staff
Partner with local influencers who are dedicated to sustainable practices. You don’t need to choose people with a large following. Smaller influencers are more affordable and more likely to engage with followers
Contribute to local news articles. We recommend connecting with journalists on LinkedIn who will reach out if they need a quote or some information

Xigen: The local agency for local businesses

Becoming a sustainable business may feel daunting, but it’s not as hard as you might think.

Let us leave you with one final piece of advice – done is better than perfect. Customers will appreciate that you’re taking small steps to become a greener business, rather than striving for perfection.

If you’re looking for sustainable ways to market your business in Milton Keynes, we’re here to help. We have over 20 years of experience in supporting companies across the South East of England.

Best of all, we’re based in Bedford, so we’re only 30 minutes away if you need digital marketing support!

It may not be easy being green, but we’ll do all we can to make the process more straightforward – get in touch today to find out more.

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Tags: Digital Marketing, Milton Keynes Businesses, Marketing

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