Do you feel like you’re doing your part to help the environment? Just in time for Earth Day (Tuesday, April 22nd), a new survey reveals that a lot of us actually experience “eco guilt” - the feeling that they could be doing more with their environmental habits. That feeling striked the average American around four times a month, which adds up to 48 times a year.
According to the poll of 2-thousand U.S. adults:
- The eco-habits people feel guiltiest about include wasting food (31%), throwing stuff away that could have been recycled (29%) and leaving the TV on when not watching (27%).
- The research shows that people are trying, but half (50%) admit they’re more likely to do something that’s not environmentally friendly when they’re stressed or in a hurry.
- Specific habits Americans feel are hardest to maintain are recycling properly (29%), cooking at home instead of ordering takeout (27%), avoiding single-use plastics (22%) and bringing reusable bags, bottles or containers when shopping (20%).
- Nearly three-quarters (73%) say they wish they were more eco-friendly than they are now and a third are trying to find ways to ease their “eco guilt.”
- Millennials feel eco guilt most often, at an average of 5.4 times a month, with Gen Z close behind at 5.2 times.
- For Gen X, it’s around four times a month, and it drops to just 2.8 times for baby boomers.
- Younger generations are also more willing to pay more for products that are eco-friendly, 39% for millennials compared to 26% of baby boomers.
- What consumers want more than anything from brands and companies is for them to make living a sustainable lifestyle easier. Respondents say they’d like to see reduced plastic packaging (60%), more affordable sustainable products (54%), better recycling programs (54%) and better access to reuse and repair services (40%).
Source: Talker