Bite-Sized Insights: Parents Are Moving Towards Sustainability But Costs Still Inhibiting Them

Each week we ask our trusted Insights panel of parents a key question. This week we were interested in finding out how Irish parents approach the concept of sustainability when shopping for the home. We asked them to tell us if they have recently made changes to their purchasing habits in the name of sustainability across various consumer sectors and we were surprised with the results. Take a quick read of this week’s bite-sized insights to find out what parents are saying about shopping sustainably.

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We asked our Insights panel of parents to tell us if their views on climate change and sustainability have changed at all in the last 12 months. Here’s how they answered:

We also asked parents if their views on climate change and sustainability have changed at all in the last 12 months. Comments from our panel members included:

“Yes, trying to do more in every aspect of life where possible & trying to teach my children also.”

“Have become more aware of checking the sustainability of any item I intend to purchase.”

“Fed up with climate change being used to just gather more tax for government.”

“Yes. I am trying to do our bit as a family, but house heating and car are very expensive to change.”

“I’m definitely more mindful of packaging, as well as looking at ingredients (avoiding palm oil). If I could afford an EV I would definitely purchase one (purchased Peugeot 3008 last year, but EV version was considerably more expensive). We do grow our own veggies, but just as a hobby with the kids.”

“Views have changed but as income is still the same and more sustainable options are more expensive I cannot go with my heart.”

“We are simply buying too much and not buying for longevity. Everything seems to be throwaway. From clothing to cars. We need more fix and repair services so that an item that has cost so much in terms of resources, ends up being unusable for the sake of the skill to repair it. It’s hard to find a good cobbler or seamstress now whereas years ago you bought a good pair of shoes and got them repaired when they broke. Even when it comes to printers, sometimes it’s almost as cost effective to buy a printer (that comes with ink) than it is to replace the ink for your current printer. It’s such wastage. Regarding cars, I understand and agree that a more environmentally friendly option needs to be the ultimate outcome. But I completely disagree with the notion that it is better for the environment to build a new (electric) vehicle from scratch and scrap the (Internal combustion engine) one that you already have for the sake of a repair. This is Ireland and many of us don’t live on a bus route that we can conveniently use to get to work or school. There needs to be better, reliable and regular local bus services for us to get away from using our vehicles. And with the vast amount of factories having moved to weekend, three day shifts, twelve hour shifts, no public transport could cater for these workers anyway.”

“I try to be as environmentally friendly as possible, but find it hard as it can be more expensive to pick these options.”

“What began as optimism that things would change, all I’ve seen are small business trying to make an impact and the governments of the world doing practically nothing to help. It’s heart-breaking.”

“Yes, I have become more aware of the effect climate change is having on our world and am trying to be more green in my shopping and choices. But there are still some products that I haven’t replaced, like shampoo or conditioner and we have not replaced our car, but in the future we will look at greener options for that too.”

“Definitely yes, I am more conscious about the climate change issues, I am following several accounts on social media that talk about this problem and help understand the dangers we are all facing and what we, as individuals, can do on our side to help. I am making more eco friendly and sustainable choices when and where possible in everything I and my family does, not always easy but we are trying and doing out best.”

“Yes, we have made a lot of changes in our daily lives: always bringing our stainless steel water bottles with us wherever we go, using reusable cloths instead of paper kitchen roll, getting a hybrid car, solar panels on our roof, washing and reusing any plastic bags that we end up with, buying large refills for soap, detergent, washing up liquid instead of individual items, zero waste deodorant, soap, shampoo etc.”

“I have made an effort to support more Irish businesses so it cuts down on air miles and transport costs. I have become more aware of the effects climate change are having on the weather too and am trying to become more sustainable in my choices.”

Actionable Insights for Consumer Brands

Parents are keen to buy more sustainably but often find sustainable brands are too expensive for their needs. If you can’t bring down prices and remain sustainable, make sure that you’re communicating the benefits of the extra costs clearly on the packaging.
Packaging is still a concern, with many parents saying there is too much or it is not recyclable. What can you do to cut down and improve your packaging?
If you plan to change your product or service to be more sustainable, make you get consumer insights to help you with your planning and rollout. We can help!