Mintel’s Everyday Sustainability report explores how US brands can meet growing consumer expectations for sustainability while balancing practical purchase drivers like price, quality, and convenience.
Key Topics Analyzed in this Report
- A look at the political and economic indicators impacting sustainability in the US
- Custom consumer segmentation based on consumers’ sustainability outlook and attitudes
- A trended look at consumers’ views of and expectations for brand sustainability
- Analysis of consumers’ attitudes toward sustainability
- Consumers’ sustainable shopping behaviors across CPG and retail categories
- A review of recent in-market innovations and activations from environmentally conscious brands
Consumers and Sustainability – Frequently Asked Questions for US Brands
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Mintel finds that US Consumers increasingly expect brands to take the lead in addressing the climate crisis. Almost half view companies as primarily responsible for improving environmental sustainability, up from 2023. However, even among the most eco-conscious consumers, price, quality and convenience remain the top purchase drivers, especially when contending with economic pressures such as tariffs. Brands are challenged to balance sustainability alongside affordability and functionality.
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To successfully appeal to consumers, brands must position sustainability as a secondary value-add benefit after more practical purchase drivers. Brands can offset any sacrifices for sustainability by highlighting differentiating product benefits beyond sustainability such as luxury, durability and time savings. Although packaging plays a critical role in signaling a company’s environmental commitment, brands need to go beyond on-pack claims, which can overwhelm consumers and ultimately cause decision paralysis. To meet consumers’ growing expectations, environmentally dedicated brands need to step up as sustainability leaders and address the gaps in consumers’ knowledge and practices.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Lisa Dubina. Lisa has been with Mintel since 2019 and is responsible for the Culture and Identity library. Her insights and reports analyze the underlying psychographic factors that influence how consumers identify, express themselves, build like-minded communities and engage with brands across categories.
To meet consumers’ growing expectations, brands need to make sustainability straightforward, practical and an enticing value-add.
Lisa Dubina
Associate Director, Culture & Identity
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- Market definition
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Outlook on the future of environmental sustainability
- Opportunities
- Position sustainability as a secondary value-add benefit after more practical purchase drivers
- Leverage packaging and product design to signify eco-friendly benefits and reputation
- Develop entertaining and engaging ways to educate consumers and demystify sustainability
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Economic factors
- Market factors
- The climate crisis continues…
- Sustainability is now a practical concern, not just an emotive issue
- Compared to other global countries, the US is a leading “climate denier”
- Graph 1: agreement – “I don’t believe that human activity is having a significant impact on global warming/climate change,” 2024
- The Trump-Vance administration quickly zeroes in on dismantling climate action and environmental policies
- Amid newly implemented tariffs and inflation concerns, economic factors will continue to supersede environmental considerations
- Coca-Cola considers returning to plastic bottles to offset tariff-impacted aluminum costs
- On the other hand, tariffs could also benefit sustainability by inciting American-made and circular shopping behaviors
- Consumer segmentation
- Segmenting consumers based on their sustainability outlook and attitudes
- Graph 2: sustainability consumer segments, 2025
- Segmentation factors
- Sustainably Engaged and Optimistic consumers skew middle-income and Northeast, city-dwelling while underindexing among Gen Z and White consumers
- This segment could use an extra dose of reality to instigate further sustainability
- Sustainably Engaged but Pessimistic consumers are Gen Zs and Millennials committed to and concerned about the climate future
- This segment needs efficient sustainability solutions and reassurances about their efforts
- Sustainably Concerned but Marginally Engaged consumers are climate stressed, yet still prioritize price and convenience over sustainability
- To engage this segment, brands should reposition the climate crisis as a personal health and wealth crisis
- Sustainably Skeptical and Unconcerned consumers also skew Baby Boomer, overindexing among rural and suburban Midwesterners
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Sustainability: the basics
- Sustainability needs to be marketed as a value-add benefit on top of the core benefits of quality, price and convenience
- Graph 3: top-of-mind considerations in purchase decisions, 2024-25
- The importance of sustainability in consumers’ daily life has also held steady with a plurality saying it’s an occasional consideration
- Graph 4: importance of sustainability in day-to-day life, 2023-25
- The onus is increasingly on brands and companies to address the climate crisis
- Graph 5: most responsible for improving sustainability, 2023-25
- Although consumers place the onus on brands, skepticism around price and quality remain key barriers to purchasing
- LEGO shows how brands can help pioneer sustainable innovations
- Outlook on sustainability
- Eco-conscious brands must inspire consumers who believe they’ve done enough to take the next step in sustainability
- Graph 6: any agree – “I’m doing my part when it comes to sustainability,” by sustainability segments, 2025
- Consumers recognize human behavior contributes to the climate crisis, but many are skeptical that personal sustainability efforts can reverse it
- Graph 7: outlook on personal contribution to climate crisis and sustainability, 2025
- US consumers run the gamut when it comes to their dedication to sustainability, but cost and convenience are consistent barriers across the board
- Collaboration across government, businesses and the individual is needed to effectively address sustainability according to young consumers
- Graph 8: most responsible for improving sustainability, by generation, 2025
- Graph 9: agreement – “No matter how sustainably I personally live, my actions will never really make a difference,” by generation, 2025
- Despite being skeptical about the impact of personal sustainability efforts, young consumers feel they live more sustainably than others
- Graph 10: sustainability self-comparison to the average person, by generation, 2025
- Help offset consumers’ sacrifices for sustainability by highlighting appealing value-add benefits
- Graph 11: willingness to adjust typical behaviors to be more sustainable, 2025
- Tailor sustainability messaging to different geographic subsegments by appealing to local climate concerns
- Graph 12: any agreement – willingness to adjust typical behaviors to be more sustainable, by region, 2025
- Insurance company Chubb offered proactive and localized assistance to effected clients during the LA Wildfires
- Sustainability across category
- Food/beverage is the most top-of-mind category when it comes to sustainable shopping, meaning other categories need to distinguish themselves
- Graph 13: outlook on shopping sustainably across categories, 2025
- eos appeals to functionality and indulgence in addition to clean beauty claims
- Even among the most sustainably engaged, shopping sustainably in fashion and personal care/beauty remains a challenge
- Graph 14: easiest to shop sustainably, by sustainability segments, 2025
- Refocus consumers’ waste and recycling concerns on the “reduce” and “reuse” elements of the recycling pyramid
- Graph 15: top sustainability concerns in products (select up to three), 2025
- Use recyclable packaging claims as an entry-point to draw in sustainably engaged consumers
- Category behaviors
- Recent inflation has promoted home utility sustainability, yet curbed sustainable product shopping
- Graph 16: self-evaluated sustainability across categories – currently very or somewhat sustainable, 2025
- Across generations, consumers’ sustainability efforts are influenced by life stage priorities
- Graph 17: self-evaluated sustainability across categories – [NET] currently very or somewhat sustainable, by generation, 2025
- Poshmark is using AI to make the circular fashion economy more convenient for secondhand sellers
- Sustainable brands need to ensure their packaging clearly conveys a product’s eco-friendly attributes and sustainability benefits
- Graph 18: ways consumers learn about a product’s sustainability, 2025
- A combination of on-pack claims, packaging materials and product design help convey sustainability
- Sustainable brands that are marketing to younger generations need to maintain a social media presence to establish its eco-friendly reputation
- Graph 19: ways consumers learn about a product’s sustainability, by generation, 2025
- Dr Squatch uses timely and irreverent social media posts to engage its core audience of young men
- Role of brands in sustainability
- Consumers worry the US government is deprioritizing environmental sustainable, concerns that are likely to increase over the next four years
- Graph 20: agreement – outlook on the US and sustainability, 2025
- As consumers increasingly place the onus of sustainability on companies, brands need to address the barrier and gaps in consumers’ sustainability
- Graph 21: agreement – attitudes toward brands’ use of sustainability claims, 2025
- Graph 22: count – US market products using ethical sustainability claims, 2020-24
- Across categories, competing products use an excessive range of complex and perplexing claims that create confusion and decision paralysis
- Trust in claims and sustainability literacy do not go hand in hand; consumers who trust brand claims are more likely to doubt their comprehension
- Graph 23: any agree – trust and understanding of sustainability claim, by generation, 2025
- PepsiCo is using AI to gamifying and demystifying recycling
- Environmentally conscious brands need to consistently build sustainability into their branding and identity
- Graph 24: agreement – “I keep track of which brands are sustainable and which aren’t,” by sustainability segments, 2025
- Generation and geographic location impact consumers’ willingness to track brands’ sustainability
- Graph 25: any agree – “I keep track of which brands are sustainable and which aren’t,” by generation, 2025
- Graph 26: any agree – “I keep track of which brands are sustainable and which aren’t,” by region, 2025
- Parenthood continues to be a key motivator behind personal commitment to sustainability
- Welly Flex Fabric bandages appeal to sustainable parents promising practical reliable and reusable packaging
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MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
- Innovation and marketing
- Fashion/apparel: MUD Jeans partners with Mended to encourage repairing, not replacing
- Household care: Colgate-Palmolive markets Fabuloso 2X as better value and efficacy before sustainability benefits
- Beauty/personal care: Garnier leverages its packaging to establish itself as the green drug store beauty brand
- Food/beverage: Lundberg Farms uses social media to update its consumers on its sustainability benchmarks and achievements
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer qualitative research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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