Gen Z and Millenials Cannot Afford to Shop Sustainably, According to New Study
96% of participants stated that they are unable to make eco-conscious purchasing decisions due to rising costs of living.
According to a new study by U.K.-based digital customer research company Untold Insights, an astounding majority of Generation Z and Millennial consumers cannot shop sustainably due to high living costs.
The company surveyed roughly 1,000 people living in the United Kingdom between the ages of 16 and 40, and 96% of respondees reported that they could not make eco-conscious purchasing decisions due to an increased cost of living, according to WWD. 53% of respondees stated that they would prioritize purchasing affordable items over sustainable alternatives, as environmentally-friendly brands oftentimes sell products at price points far out of their budgets.
Millennials possess higher spending power than Gen Z, offering the older generation more options across product categories. Of those surveyed, 43% said that they are actively engaged in climate change discussions and that they have adjusted their lifestyles with the environment in mind.
Meanwhile, 52% of Millenial participants stated that they would purchase less from a brand that participates in greenwashing, whereas 45% of Gen Z respondents said the same.
While Gen Z is oftentimes referred to as the “climate change generation,” their comparatively lower spending power limits them from engaging in a similar level of sustainable buying. Despite this, 34% of Gen Z respondents said that they view fast fashion brands positively, compared to 47% of Millennial participants.
The research was commissioned by the TikTok eco-community Earthtopia. Rob Greenfield, the head of the group, explained to WWD that sustainable products oftentimes end up being cheaper because of their “reusability.”
He added, “However, their typically higher upfront costs can make it difficult for many young people who are trying to live sustainably and within their means to buy them. It’s vital, therefore, as this report indicates, that governments need to do more to level this playing field by imposing taxes on those companies that produce low-quality, plastic-heavy and energy-intensive products and, in turn, incentivize them to produce more affordable, sustainable alternatives.”
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