11 September 2019
The Weekly

The study of 2,000 adults found 49% would be put off buying from a shop or business if they knew they, or the brands they stocked, weren’t environmentally friendly. It also emerged two-thirds of Generation Z shoppers aged 18-24 are more concerned about climate change and sustainability issues than they were just one year ago. And more than three-quarters of this age group say wanting products which reduce waste is their biggest environmental concern when choosing what to buy. The research was commissioned by Selfridges, as part of the brand’s wider sustainability programme, which has also seen cult fashion marketplace, Depop, open a pop-up in store - the platform’s first branded retail space in the UK. The research also found that choosing second-hand fashion is most popular with Gen Z, with more than half either often or sometimes shopping for second-hand and vintage clothing – far more than those aged 45 or older. But three quarters of adults believe retailers have more work to do to educate consumers to shop more sustainability. Seven in 10 believe retailers should be banning single-use plastic items like water bottles or straws. And 60% want to see stores wiping out their reliance on non-recyclable plastic packaging on beauty products. However, one in 10 of those polled, via OnePoll, also believe it’s ‘too hard’ to buy refillable beauty products, or products made from recycled materials.