Stay ahead of the curve and future-proof your business with Mintel’s Germany Everyday Sustainability Market Report 2024. Our full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, Germany sustainability trends, and an analysis of green consumers Germany. Get a 360° view of the sustainability market in Germany including a forecast to help you align your business strategy with the needs of your audience.
Below, we’ve handpicked the key insights analysed in the full report and summarised the core topics.
Our Report Delivers Key Insights On
- An overview of the sustainability market in Germany.
- How consumers perceive the environmental-friendliness of their own lifestyles and a comparison of sustainability in Germany to a year ago.
- German Consumers Sustainability: Areas in which eco-friendliness is most important to Germans, and selected eco-friendly behaviours in the last 12 months, including a future outlook.
- Actions surrounding sustainability in Germany that companies should prioritise, such as recycling and renewable energy.
- Green Consumers Germany: Attitudes towards sustainability and greenwashing, including the impact of the cost of living crisis.
Do you want strategic insight into your global sustainability message?
The much-anticipated Global Outlook on Sustainability: A Consumer Study 2024-25 is now available to order. Covering 10,000 respondents from 10 leading economies, this report gives insights and inspiration on how best to position and position and prioritise your brands’ products. Download your copy today. Download your copy today.
Consumer Sustainability Report Germany: An Overview
81% of German consumers perceive their lifestyle as very or somewhat environmentally friendly. This percentage has remained relatively stable since 2022.
However, this contrasts the high levels of air pollution and household waste in Germany. According to Mintel’s consumer sustainability report Germany, the cost of living crisis has made it harder for German consumers to live sustainably – 63% of Germans agree with this statement.
Sustainability in Germany: What Consumers Want and Why
- German Consumers Sustainability: 47% of Germans think that extending products’ life cycles should be companies’ priority. Similarly, about half of consumers agree that only reducing their consumption levels will help save the planet, opening up opportunities for brands to follow a holistic approach to transform our throw-away culture.
- Opportunities in the Sustainability Market in Germany: Although sustainability is not the key purchase factor, a combination of eco claims with other desired features, such as convenience or health benefits, can give brands an edge. To battle consumerist throw-away culture, brands can offer supplementary services such as repairs and resale programs.
More About This Report
This Report explores consumer behaviours and attitudes towards everyday sustainability in Germany, focussing on environmental aspects. In this Report the terms “green”, “environmentally friendly” and “eco-friendly” are used interchangeably to denote products that are designed to be less harmful to the environment. The Report also refers to ‘regular products’, which are defined as those that do not claim to be eco-friendly.
Included in this report:
- Eco-friendly products & services: Repairing and buying second-hand, reduced energy usage at home, and reduced car usage.
- Food and drink
- Fashion
- Everyday transport
Meet The Expert
This report, written by Dr. Jennifer Hendricks, Senior Analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight trends in the sustainability market in Germany and add expert context to the numbers.
German consumers are reducing the number of products and services they buy, with many thinking that less consumption will help to save the planet. Brands that tackle our throw-away culture with a holistic approach, for example by extending products’ life cycles or through supplementary services like repairs, will resonate with consumers.
Dr. Jennifer Hendricks
Senior Analyst – Consumer Lifestyles, Germany
Collapse All
-
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- The five-year outlook for everyday sustainability
- Market context
- The cost-of-living crisis has caused an uneven impact on sustainable living
- Germany’s CO2 emissions are at a record low – but Germans are feeling the effects of climate change
- Opportunities
- Make eco inclusion a priority
- Develop a thorough understanding of young people’s eco ambitions
- Get prepared for sustainability becoming the norm
- Take a holistic approach to tackle throw-away culture
-
MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- 2024 is expected to remain challenging
- Graph 1: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- Inflation is bouncing back to more-conventional levels
- Inflation is still the key factor affecting consumers’ finances…
- …confidence and expenditure
- Graph 2: financial confidence index, 2022-24
- Impact of the economy on sustainable living
- Germans still feel pressure from rising prices…
- Graph 3: selected household and lifestyle issues faced in the last two months, 2022-24
- …accompanied by a lasting impact on consumption habits
- The cost-of-living crisis has put Germans’ commitment towards eco-friendly products to the test
- High inflation has helped drive sustainability in certain areas of everyday life
- Climate change
- Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions drop to a record low
- Graph 4: greenhouse gas emissions, 2013-23 (est)
- Germans are facing rising temperatures and extreme weather events
- Graph 5: annual average daily temperature, 2003-23
- Household waste and recycling
- Household waste levels record a decline
- Germans are diligent recyclers
- European regulations
- The European Green Claims Directive will ring in more transparency and easier-to-understand claims
- Plastic tax in Germany: plastic manufacturers to pay into Single-Use Plastic Fund
- Right to repair: making repairs easier for consumers
- Sustainable mobility has a backlog as car preference prevails
- Farm to Fork strategy aims to create fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food systems
-
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Perception of own environmentally friendly lifestyle and changes in eco-friendly living compared to a year ago
- Germans’ perception of own environmentally friendly lifestyle has remained stable
- Support Germans in better understanding their eco impact
- City living enables more-eco-friendly living
- Graph 6: consumers who perceive their lifestyle as very environmentally friendly, by area, 2024
- Use price matching to include worse-off consumers
- Graph 7: consumers who perceive their lifestyle as very/somewhat environmentally friendly (NET), by financial situation, 2024
- More than one in five consumers say they act more environmentally friendly than a year ago
- Graph 8: changes in eco-friendly living compared to a year ago, % of respondents, 2024
- Be aware of the growing eco gap…
- …and tackle it to promote eco inclusion
- Areas in which eco-friendliness is most important
- Importance of eco-friendliness dominates in essential areas of everyday life…
- Graph 9: areas in which eco-friendliness is most important to consumers, 2024
- …but bear in mind that sustainability is not the key purchase factor
- Sustainability, completely normal with ALDI SÜD
- F&D: help consumers step up their efforts in reducing food waste
- Household care: take inspiration from the ‘Enkelfähig Score’ to attract older Germans
- Reassure younger Germans in following a balanced eco lifestyle
- Google: every climate-friendly decision counts
- Eco-friendly behaviours
- Germans’ eco-friendly behaviours are influenced by the cost-of-living crisis
- Graph 10: selected eco-friendly behaviours that have been done in the last 12 months or are planned to be done in the future, 2024
- Gain inspiration from other markets for ways to highlight energy savings
- The majority of Germans shows various eco-friendly behaviours, but younger consumers are lagging behind…
- Graph 11: repertoire of selected eco-friendly behaviours done in the last 12 months, 2024
- …opening up opportunities to motivate them with gamified elements
- Engage Gen Zs in eco habits at home
- Graph 12: consumers who have reduced energy/water usage at home in the last 12 months, by generation, 2024
- Take second-hand shopping to the next level to attract younger generations
- Keep an eye on the growing popularity of repair cafés in Germany
- A sweet spot for sustainable mobility concepts
- Düsseldorf embraces the potential of multimodal mobility stations as social meeting places
- Eco-friendly actions that companies should prioritise the most
- Germans expect brands to play their part
- Graph 13: eco-friendly actions that companies should prioritise the most, 2024
- Make recycling a priority across categories
- Graph 14: consumers who think that companies should prioritise recycling the most, by selected areas in which eco-friendliness is most important to them, 2024
- Take inspiration from Austrian ‘Recycle me’ app and create incentives for recycling
- Learn from ALDI UK and leverage the potential of AI to make recycling more transparent
- The demand for extended product life cycles is present in all income brackets…
- Graph 15: consumers who think that companies should prioritise extending the life cycle of their products, by net monthly household income, 2024
- …calling for a holistic approach to tackle the throw-away culture
- MediaMarkt Better Way: for a future worth living
- Make sustainability a topic in digital media
- Attitudes towards sustainability and greenwashing
- Germans are caught between the need for global commitment and their individual responsibility
- Graph 16: attitudes towards sustainability and greenwashing, 2024
- Combine eco-claims with health benefits to attract older consumers
- Graph 17: consumers who agree that climate change can only be stopped if all countries commit to it, by age, 2024
- Examples of eco-friendly F&D products claiming additional health benefits
- Make sustainable products widely accessible to promote eco inclusion
- REWE puts its support of the NABU climate fund at the centre of its communication
- Commit yourself to standardised eco scoring…
- …and leverage the potential of clear messaging
-
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- Food & drink products
- Environmentally friendly packaging claims see the greatest increase
- Graph 18: food launches with selected ethical and sustainable claims, 2021-22 vs 2023-24
- Examples of eco-friendly packaging and recycling claims in food & drink
- Beauty & personal care products
- BPC launches put a stronger focus on eco claims
- Graph 19: BPC launches with selected ethical and sustainable claims, 2018-19 vs 2023-24
- Examples of eco-friendly packaging and upcycling claims in BPC
- Household care products
- Ethical and environmental claims lead the way in household care
- Graph 20: household launches with selected ethical and sustainable claims, 2016-17 vs 2021-22
- Examples of eco and convenience claims in household care
-
APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
$ 2,995 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
-
Save 20% when you purchase two or more reports
Offer available for this month only
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.
By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.
For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.
Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
