Youth Skip Green Products to Save Cash

It’s generally held as common knowledge that the youth of the world is far greener than the rest of us. College environmental activism is at an all-time high and “eco kids” are calling their parents out on environmental offenses. But, does that mean the “Millenial Generation”, defined as 13-to-29-year-olds, is willing to fork over extra cash for green products?

Nope, according to a new survey conducted by General Insight, which found that the younger members of this generation aren’t buying green despite being extremely educated in green issues. The reason? Mostly, they’re confused by marketing claims and unsure of whether buying green products makes a real difference.

From Environmental Leader:

The research found that while 76 percent of Millennials ages 13-29 feel it’s very important or important for brands to get involved in the green movement, 71 percent of teens (ages 13-17) surveyed say if they had to choose between a less expensive product or one that “gave back” to the environment, they would choose the less expensive product.

In contrast, the majority of older Millennials would choose the more expensive brand that gave back in a green way.

Interestingly, the majority of Millennials surveyed found it confusing as to why products that are better for the environment are more expensive. Generate Insight noted that the extra cost – without consistent explanation – discourages the majority of shoppers from embracing and contributing to the green movement.

The study also found several other deterrents to Millennials living greener lives. These include products that require too much effort, are too time consuming and are not convenient; products that are confusing and difficult to understand, and families that are not involved in, supportive of or knowledgeable about the green movement.

Hey, these kids grew up in an era of excess, convenience and “me, me, me”. It’s kind of amazing that so many of them are even remotely ‘green’ in the first place. But on another level – kids this age don’t have a lot of money to throw around and they’re much more conscious of responsible spending now that the recession has hit. How many 19-year-old college students do you know that can shop at Whole Foods? And I’m not talking about trustifarians.

What we really need this generation to understand is that they don’t have to spend a lot of money to be green. You can be extremely green on a very small budget, though of course the many companies that are trying to make money off what they see as the “green trend” would have everyone believe otherwise.

Link [Environmental Leader]

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