A Look Into The Question: Are Millennials Shopping Consciously?
By Olivia Mitchell of The Pearl Source
There’s plenty of buzz out there about the need to engage in eco-conscious shopping, but how many people are actually doing it?
Millenials and Conscious Shopping
Millennials are the largest generation to date, 75 million strong. They’re also the loudest voice in the chorus when it comes to nurturing sustainable consumer habits.
The holidays are just around the corner, and many people are already working on their Christmas outfit ideas. But with inflation through the roof, the question remains, how many are going to wear fast fashion because it’s cheap and cute, and how many are going to put their money where their mouth is?
It’s easy to stick to a resolution when the economic times are good, but not so much when money is tight. So how are Millennials doing? Read on to find out.
<3 the Earth
Politics can be polarizing, but if you’re looking for a sure-fire way to hook a Millennial, give your merchandise an eco-friendly stamp.
One recent survey revealed that the overwhelming majority of Millennials agree that a brand’s environmental commitment has an impact on their decision whether or not to buy a product, and 73% of them are willing to pay more for an environmentally-sound product. Compare that to only 66% of consumers overall who agree with that statement. Millennials are far more likely than previous generations to search for things like ‘eco-friendly party shoes’ or ‘sustainable stud earrings’ rather than plain ‘shoes’ or ‘earrings.’
Knowledge Is Power
Millennials saw the dawn and rise of the internet. As such, they view the world quite differently than previous generations.
Never before have humans had such easy and complete access to information. Millennials are considered to be the most educated generation the planet has ever seen. More Millennials have pursued higher education than any previous one, and they are highly motivated to learn and to know what’s going on.
Millennials are also health conscious and believe that the health of the planet is integral to their own wellbeing. Businesses have caught onto this interest in green goods and have been quick to tout their wares as enviro-safe. But businesses are also in the business of making money, and ecological practices can be quite a bit more expensive than the standard cheap-and-dirty procedures.
Thus it should come as no surprise that there has been a sharp rise in misleading and downright false claims to sustainability.
Beware the Greenwash
Millennials are sometimes accused of being light on follow-through, but not so in this case.
Several reports have recently gotten a lot of press about the widespread practice of greenwashing, including a lawsuit following the revelation that over 90% H&M’s environmental claims are inaccurate.
It is no surprise that Millennials have become less trustful, especially when it comes to the recycling claims. One study by the Keep America Beautiful foundation found that Millennials were 10% more skeptical than the general public of recycling claims.
Photo by Melanie Lim on Unsplash
Generation Gap
Another difference between Millennials and previous generations with regards to environmentalism is how they obtain their information.
Older shoppers still tend to rely on what they see at a store or in traditional print media whereas Millennials check it all out online. This pressures brands to provide relevant information that answers the questions Millennials are asking about their products. Millennials also expect to be able to interact personally with brands to find out more information and get a real feel for what the company is (and is not) doing to protect the planet.
The internet has been the great disruptor in so many different ways, not least of all by giving the little guy a chance. Old-school brands built their reputation by delivering the quality consumers expected. The company did not have to answer questions about where or how that product was made.
This is no longer the case. Whereas large, impersonal corporations once dominated the field, start-ups are carving out a niche for themselves by being authentic, approachable, and responsive to consumer demands for genuinely sustainable products. Millennials are also very quick to share their thoughts — positive and negative — about brands that do or do not meet their claims.
Prove It
While older generations are more likely to accept a green claim at face value, Millennials are savvier and are looking for third-party validation. B Corporations, FairTrade Certified, Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS) and Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) are just a few of the trusted names in third-party certification.
Less scrupulous businesses are trying to stay one step ahead by inventing their own in-house certifications, and Millennials (and other generations) sometimes fall for it, but overall, Millennials have the experience, the know-how, and the willingness to persist and navigate through the grandiose proclamations to find out the truth.
Overall, Millennials are optimistic, diverse, and more accepting of cultural differences than any group of humans in history. As such, they are very keen to spend more on authentic experiences, like eco-tours and eco-lodges because they firmly believe in reducing their carbon footprint.
The Achilles Heel
Supply chains are extremely complex. Taking the entire planet, its inhabitants, both human and otherwise, labor practices, shipping methods, packaging materials, and so on is already plenty to worry about.
But supply chains are only part of a consumer good’s lifecycle. Everything will eventually wear out and disposal is as important a question as any other piece of the process.
The one element of eco-consciousness where Millennials fall a little short is in thinking ahead to the post-consumer chapter of the story.
The fact that there are no clear definitions of sustainable practices makes it that much harder. Plastic shoes may be ‘animal-friendly,’ but are they really better for the environment than recycled leather? Recycling is an essential component of sustainability, and the environmental impact of not recycling due to cynicism can be significant.
The Millennials’ skepticism toward recycling is something they could stand to level up on.
TL;DR
Millennials are doing their research with regards to raw materials, processing, packaging, shipping and other parts of the supply chain.
But environmental consciousness must include the full circle of a product’s existence. Millennials are not as well versed in what happens after a product has reached the end of its useful life. Until they include that in their calculations, brands are going to save money wherever they can, potentially creating an environmental disaster for future generations.