The average American consumer experiences feelings of ‘eco guilt’ – a sense that they could be doing more to help the environment – around four times per month, a study by Talker Research on behalf of HP has found.
According to the study, which surveyed 2,000 US citizens, common sources of this guilt include wasting food (31%), discarding recyclable items (29%), and leaving electronic devices on unnecessarily (27%), with half (50%) of respondents stating that they are likely to do something that isn’t environmentally friendly when they’re feeling ‘rushed’ or ‘stressed’.
These sources of stress include financial issues (43%), health worries (33%), sleep problems (31%), political concerns (27%), and family responsibilities (27%), the study found.
Stressful situations
In terms of the environmentally-friendly responsibilities they have difficulty maintaining in stressful situations, recycling (29%) comes out on top, followed by cooking at home (27%), avoiding single-use plastics (22%), and using reusable items while shopping (20%).
Some three quarters (73%) of respondents said that they wished they were more environmentally friendly than they are today, and are actively looking for ways to reduce their ‘eco-guilt’.
A difficult balance
“Balancing everyday life with eco-friendly habits can be tough,” said Kwamina Crankson, SVP of subscriber growth at HP. “We want to ease that pressure by offering products and solutions that easily fit into people’s routines, supporting more sustainable lifestyles without the added stress.”
Generational differences also emerge from the findings, with Millennials reporting the highest frequency of eco guilt, averaging 5.4 instances per month, followed closely by Gen Z, with 5.2. Gen X reported four instances of eco guilt, on average, per month, while among baby boomers this fell to 2.8.
Close to half of respondents attributed the higher level of eco guilt among younger demographic cohorts to growing up with more exposure to information about environmental issues.
“Millions of people think about climate change every day and want to make a difference, but many still wonder if their individual choices matter,” Crankson added. “That’s why we’re focused on making sustainable living feel less like a burden and more like a shared opportunity. We’re creating solutions that can easily integrate sustainability into everyday life, giving people better access to sustainable choices and recyclable products.”
The survey was carried out online between 14 and 30 March, and surveyed 2,000 Americans. Read more here.
