{"id":411,"date":"2018-09-19T11:04:31","date_gmt":"2018-09-19T09:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/actforyourplanet.com\/?p=411"},"modified":"2026-05-22T23:31:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T21:31:13","slug":"sustainability-has-finally-hit-the-mainstream-of-consumerism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actforyourplanet.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/19\/sustainability-has-finally-hit-the-mainstream-of-consumerism\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability has finally hit the\u00a0mainstream of consumerism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is sustainability the new normal for\u00a0consumers?<\/b><\/p>\n

As eco-consciousness goes mainstream in some countries,\u00a0consumers don\u2019t just expect brands to be sustainable, they expect them to be \u2018regenerative\u2019,<\/p>\n

Sustainability has become an imperative for consumers. More than nine in ten (92 per cent) of\u00a0consumers across four global markets\u2014Australia, China, United Kingdom and the United States\u2014claim to be trying to live more sustainably, according to a new study :\u00a0\u00a0The New Sustainability: Regeneration<\/i> by\u00a0advertising agency JWT.(The New Sustainability: Regeneration report)<\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"Once deemed \u2018hippy\u2019,\u00a0sustainability has finally hit the\u00a0mainstream of consumerism, the study finds.\u00a089 per cent of consumers say they care personally about protecting the environment. Veganism is becoming increasingly popular\u2014in China, veganism is expected to rise by 17 per cent by 2020\u2014the topic of single-use plastics is causing\u00a0a stir, and consumers are rejecting the\u00a0use of plastic straws. Community-driven initiatives such as \u2018plogging<\/a>\u2019 have also started to pop up. This latest sustainable fitness craze originating from Sweden involves picking up litter while jogging.<\/p>\n

The sustainability movement isn\u2019t just benefiting the planet, it\u2019s\u00a0influencing how people view each other, with 79 per cent stating that caring for the environment is a quality they look for in a partner.<\/p>\n

A change in consumers\u2019 value systems is behind the shift in mindset. Results from the JWT study of\u00a02,001\u00a0people suggest that instead of being motivated by vanity, narcissism or the reception of praise; personal values, a sense of duty and moral obligations are the\u00a0driving force behind\u00a0an increased sense of responsibility towards the environment. This aligns with the most common association of the word sustainability amongst respondents: \u201cresponsible\u201d.<\/p>\n

But does the notion of being responsible for the environment\u00a0translate to action on the part of the consumer? For most, sustainable living is often still an aspiration rather than a lifestyle commitment, the study finds.<\/p>\n

Companies are uniquely placed to drive change\u2026 Today, major businesses possess unparalleled scale and power, and the potential to use their resources for good.<\/b><\/p>\n

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While consumers might be willing to take baby steps and adopt\u00a0smaller lifestyle changes\u00a0such as dropping plastic straws, other old habits die hard. 64 per cent of people say they like the idea of a car-free city, but 55 per cent confessed they love their car and would never stop driving. This behaviour gap could simply be due to the lack of accessible alternative options in the marketplace, which make it harder for consumers to stick to their original, more righteous, intentions.