WOAH! Green Consumerism is Still Consumerism
In 2002 a Datamonitor report highlighted a changing shift in consumer attitude. Once driven by altruism, consumers were reported to be looking to buy green products that make them feel good at the same time.
What the now 5 year old analysis by Datamonitor of several key green markets across Europe revealed is that, while there will always be a niche group of altruistic consumers who are motivated to buy green and ethical products for the greater good, the majority of consumers are motivated to purchase these goods on a more superficial level.
The report revealed more people were buying “green” because that is what makes them feel better. It also revealed that manufacturers have realized that putting self-interest first and altruism second makes for a successful product positioning.
Since then some attention has been given to studying green consumerism and to re-thinking. There are many references available. Here are just three of them
A short history of ‘Green Consumerism’ (Cambridge University).
Understanding the Green Consumer
Re-thinking Green Consumerism pdf
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
Five years later we can see consumerism is still king and demand is rising. The emphasis on the first R - REDUCE has faded. This is a time when product manufacturers are falling all over themselves to promote their new “greener” products. It’s also a time when environmental bloggers have become promoters of green buy-buy-buying as witnessed by their blogs which are featuring green advertising and seem to be nothing more than green product reviews.
IMO we need to recognize is that:
- green consumerism is still consumerism;
- over consumption is serious a problem; and
- most manufacturers and consumers give little credence to the need to reduce consumption and to replace it with an emphasis on protection and preservation of resources for future generations.
Thanks to activistmommy I found an excellent post Are You Falling for Green Consumerism?
A brief excerpt follows but please be sure to click through and read the full article.
The biggest problem is excessive consumption, green or otherwise. A simpler lifestyle, once in which you use up fewer resources, is extremely important. … When it comes time to replace something, an appliance, your sheets, your car, etc., do think about what the greenest option is. But don’t just do this casually.
I’m interested to hear whether or not my readers have reduced their consumption overall in these last 5 years. And, if they have developed a preference for purchasing green products when purchasing is required.
Jul 15th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
There are some things that I don’t mind becoming trendy. Organic foods for example. The more people buy them the cheaper the costs become and the more I can afford to buy. LOL But the “green trend” that is going on right now has some people buying greener products because it’s cool and not because their heart is in it. They come at it from the same wasteful, consumer driven view point but have themselves fooled into thinking that they are making a difference. They don’t realise that buying things they don’t need, no matter how eco-friendly the product creates more waste.
I also wonder what will happen in a few years when it isn’t so trendy anymore. Will all those organic cotton sheets, solar powered coffee makers, and reusable shopping bags just be more junk in the landfills as soon as the next trend comes our way?
Jul 15th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Thanks for posting this. I remember lamenting just the other day about how big business has grabbed on to organic farming, and transformed it into a more socially acceptable way to continue mass production at the expense of the land’s fertility. Same thing is happening with biofuels (check out this article: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/062807H.shtml).
Over the past several years, I’ve come to realize that consumption is a state of mind, an energy field. That energy is tied up in many subtle ways to our lifestyles and views of ourselves. Until it is seen for what it is, consumerism will continue. Unless, of course, the land will no longer sustain it (which seems to be the most predictable scenario at this point).
Peace,
Mike
Jul 16th, 2007 at 11:53 am
@activistmommy and mike
My husband and I live a very modest lifestyle and have done so for many years. We find almost everything we need in charity and secondhand shops. You could say that the first R- Reduce characterizes our lifestyle.
We use things until they become useless and then we convert what remains to other uses. If we have something that we have no use for we give it to someone who needs it. When we feel we need to purchase something new we have a “wait awhile list” that we use to prevent us from running out and buying right away. In many cases we don’t end up buying anything at all.
What grieves us is that we do not see this happening around us. We see parents and kids who are addicted to shopping — green or otherwise.
Like Mike says: “consumption is a state of mind - an energy field”. Sigh …
What’s even more disappointing is seeing that the most noteworthy “green” blogs have been sucked into the consumption energy field. The bloggers are reaping income from “green advertising” and getting paid to do “green product reviews”. They are caught in the trap and they are baiting it to entrap others too. Sigh …
Shanti Om
Jul 18th, 2007 at 8:21 am
We have made an effort to reduce, although there is definitely still room for improvement. We do purchase green products whenever possible.