OUGD601 - Extended Essay - Linking Information / Notes - Green Consumerism

Green consumerism

Who are green consumers? The rise of the green consumer

green mainstream or niche?

Awareness from consumers has allowed sustainable design to move into the mainstream (orange)

Sustainability has become mainstream with more awareness within society (brown) 

Green products have become part of the mainstream rather than niche products (red)

Made green design / products niche rather than norm (yellow)

Sustainability has spread into different market areas making it available to more people (green)

For green consumerism to become mainstream information, technology and systems need to be improved to enable action (neon pink)

Pricing and increased benefits of a green product must be made clear to become more mainstream (neon pink)

More information is needed to educate consumers and to make green mainstream (neon pink)

Green products have become normal so we don’t notice them (purple)

Motivations to buy green

Emotions – guilt allievation

Recycling makes the consumer feel good whilst also providing a practical way of getting rid of rubbish (green)

Green products and small environmental actions alleviate guilt and help maintain there beliefs (neon pink)

Fuelled by the need to be in control and by guilt associated with environmental problems (neon pink)

Guilt about our effects on the environment might encourage us to take up eco efficiency which suggests limits and reduction in consumption (dark green)

People are more likely to buy products that make them feel good about themselves (dark green)

Buying green products can provide emotional satisfaction (green type)

Self benefit

People can be motivated to reduce consumption for self benefit, which is often in reaction to misconsumption …. Fleeting satisfaction – less time (yellow)

Sustainable consumers are influenced by personal gain and perceived alternative quality of life that sustainable consumption encourages and promotes (yellow)

Green products allow consumers to act to help the environment and improve their way of life (neon pink)

Personal change can lead to behavioural change creating sustainable living (purple)

Alternatives increase quality of life and feel good factor for helping the environment (yellow)

Happiness

Rousseau – human desires past basics are not needed for happiness – this desire comes from comparison with others – creates unhappiness in society because they cannot meet socially created desires – economic development creates distance between new wants and fulfilment (the principles (light blue)

Western societies have become much wealthier in material terms, yet studies show that people are no happier than they were 50 years ago (light blue)

Some international comparisons suggest that average levels of happiness in a country do seem to rise as average incomes increase, but that even then this effect wears off once a country reaches the rather modest income level found in countries like Mexico and Malaysia today (light blue)

Materialism does not bring satisfaction (dark green)

Altruisim

Altruism influences the decision to swap brands however it is mainly encouraged by the perceived increase in quality of products (neon pink)

Green and ethical products have altruistic and individual appeal for sustainable customers (yellow)

Dedicated green consumers will go without to benefit others (altruism) (neon pink)

Concern for environment – Want / need to help and be in control

Green products allow consumers to act to help the environment (neon pink)

Green consumers want to feel they have helped in some way (neon pink)

People feel the need to act through concern for the environment (neon pink)

Green products satisfy consumers desire for products that meet their practical needs and the needs of the environment (neon pink)

Meaning

The consumer wants more meaning from a product and ethics have become a symbol of status (neon orange)

Fit in

Passive green consumers motivated by being able to fit in to society – environmental problems are social (neon pink)

Self actualisation

Self actualisation is achieving self fulfillment in life – achieve capabilities and make a difference

People with successful careers, financial security and respect from social groups most likely to be at the self actualisation level

People on the self actualisation level get involved in something important to them with usually no financial gain  e.g. charity work

McNulty – large part of population on self actualisation level – will be the majority of people in the next twenty years due to economic security

Awareness of environment

There is more consumer awareness which is actively influencing their purchasing decisions (black)