This comprehensive Report explores the market dynamics, the factors stimulating growth and changes, and the perspectives and attitudes of consumers in relation to sustainable technology. Key market trends include a heightened push towards greener practices due to regulatory forces and an evolution in consumer demand. Notably, it explores tech ownership habits, affinities for sustainable products, and consumer inclination to repair rather than replace older devices. We also examines the impact of demographic shifts on the tech sector and the resultant challenges and opportunities. Green practices, innovation, and transparency are underscored as crucial for tech firms to earn and retain consumer trust.
Consumers are increasingly leaning towards eco-friendly tech options, with practices like purchasing. Several high-profile tech firms, including Amazon, Apple, and Samsung, are taking sustainability seriously. They’re developing energy-efficient products, pushing for carbon-neutral data centers, and initiating trade-in schemes for greener devices. Social media platforms have become a key medium for brands to reach and influence key demographics such as younger, sustainability-conscious consumers. Giants like Microsoft are also leveraging these platforms to educate users on how to reduce their carbon footprints. Companies including Sony and Apple are pivoting to eco-friendly packaging and product downsizing, establishing new standards for environmental accountability in the tech industry.
This report looks at the following areas:
- General ownership of common tech devices
- History of, and willingness to recycle, trade in, purchase used tech and engage in energy saving consumption practices at home
- Reasons why consumers aren’t interested in purchasing refurbished tech
- Factors prioritized when buying new tech
- Reasons consumers would pay more for a tech device
- Premiums consumers would be willing to pay for sustainability
- General attitudes towards sustainability in tech
Americans are enthusiastic about sustainability but don’t necessarily prioritize it in their tech as in many other areas of their lives. Remember price is still prioritized over environmental impact when buying new and refurbished tech.
Candace Baldassarre, Research Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Embrace green technology
- Next-gen products for greater efficiency
- Connect with environmentally conscientious consumers
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Global temperatures continue to rise
- More extreme weather events can lead to more demands for sustainability
- Graph 1: effect of extreme weather events on desire to do sustainable activity, 2024
- Trump’s victory portends a loss for the environment
- The US expanded by 3.1% in Q3 2024
- Graph 2: quarterly real GDP growth, 2021-24
- Annual inflation slightly rose in November
- Graph 3: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%, but job creation rebounded after a sharp downturn in October
- Graph 4: unemployment rate, 2019-24
- Consumer sentiment reached an eight-month high
- Graph 5: consumer sentiment index, 2022-24
- Nearly 45% of consumers have seen their financial situations change for the better in the past year
- Graph 6: change in financial situation over the past 12 months, 2023 and 2024
- Households’ outlooks on their personal finances remains bullish
- Graph 7: income growth in the past 12 months, by financial outlook, 2024
- Graph 8: opinions on financial future, 2024
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Tech ownership summary
- TVs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon
- Graph 9: devices in home, 2024
- Older consumers are significantly more likely to be holding onto older tech
- Graph 10: devices in the home, by age, 2024
- Men are more likely to own most home entertainment tech devices than women
- Graph 11: devices in the home, by gender, 2024
- Tech ownership of consoles, smart home devices and AR/VR headsets among minority groups aligns with younger consumers
- Graph 12: devices in the home (select), by race, 2024
- General attitudes and behaviors toward sustainability in tech
- Most consumers want to be sustainable, but are unsure about its relevance to tech
- There is a particular opportunity for younger women to be educated about the benefits of sustainable technology
- Graph 13: “I act environmentally conscious in other ways in my life, so I do not feel like I need to consider the environment when I buy tech devices” (% agree), by age and gender, 2024
- Despite generally being more environmentally conscious, younger consumers are also more likely to feel sustainability hinders innovation
- Graph 14: trying to be better for the environment hinders technological innovation (% agree), by age and gender, 2024
- Black and Asian consumers are significantly more likely to feel that sustainable living is part of who they are
- Graph 15: living an environmentally friendly lifestyle is an important part of who I am (% agree), by race, 2024
- When it comes to sustainability, consumer trust is a major barrier most tech brands need to overcome
- Graph 16: attitudes towards government oversight and sustainability (% agree), 2024
- Around half of consumers are interested in investing time or money into sustainable behaviors at home
- Graph 17: interest in sustainable behaviors, 2024
- Consumers expect more durability and repairability from tech manufacturers
- Graph 18: areas technology manufacturers should prioritize their sustainability efforts (any rank), 2024
- Repairing old tech
- Most consumers would prefer to repair old tech devices
- Younger consumers were more likely to have repaired an old tech device in the past, but also more likely to have no future interest
- Graph 19: repair a tech device rather than buy a new one, by age, 2024
- Most consumers are more interested in replacing their smartphone battery over replacing the phone
- Disposing of old tech
- Americans are learning to dispose of tech properly
- Graph 20: tech disposal (% have done), 2024
- Private sales and trade-ins are also popular options for those interested in disposing of old tech
- Graph 21: donating, trading-in and selling tech (% have done), 2024
- Americans are feeling aspirational about getting rid of old devices
- Graph 22: have not done, but would be interested in doing in the future, 2024
- Trade-in offers have become a staple of the telecom industry – but there are opportunities to expand to other categories
- Everyone is interested in trading in their tech devices for upgrades or credit; younger consumers are more likely to sell
- Graph 23: interest in selling or trading in used tech, by age, 2024
- Purchasing used or refurbished technology
- Half of consumers show an interest in buying refurbished devices
- Around half of consumers show an interest in buying refurbished devices
- When it comes to refurbished or used tech, consumers are most concerned about quality and longevity
- Graph 24: reasons for avoiding used/refurbished tech, 2024
- Fairphone promoted the benefits of buying refurbished
- Security risks, trust, and cost-savings are heavy influencers in refurbished tech purchases
- Graph 25: refurbished tech attitudes (% agree), 2024
- Younger consumers are more likely to have bought used tech
- Older consumers are concerned with the functionality of refurbished tech, while younger consumers desire the newest gadgets
- Graph 26: reasons for avoiding used/refurbished tech (select), by age, 2024
- Parents are significantly more likely to have built tech consumption habits around sustainability when it comes to refurbished tech
- Graph 27: buy a refurbished or used tech device, by parental status, 2024
- Purchasing new tech devices
- Over half of consumers say that environmental impact is important to them when buying a tech device
- Sustainability and ethics take a back seat to price when it comes to purchasing new tech
- Graph 28: factors prioritized when purchasing new technology (% any rank), 2024
- Younger consumers are more concerned about sustainability but…
- Graph 29: factors prioritized when purchasing new technology (% any rank), by age, 2024
- Eco-friendly features are at the bottom of the list
- Graph 30: factors consumers would pay more for regarding tech, 2024
- Messaging can be extremely important when promoting sustainability
- Graph 31: imagine a new tech device that usually costs $1,000, how much more would you be willing to pay if the device was more eco-friendly, 2024
- So who is willing to pay more? Younger consumers
- Graph 32: imagine a new tech device that usually costs $1,000, how much more would you be willing to pay if the device was more eco-friendly, by age, 2024
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Apple Mac Mini’s Role in Sustainability
- Sustainability and the cloud: carbon neutral data centers
- Samsung expands trade-in offers to the TV space
- Consumers are also looking for sustainability in tech accessories, and brands are meeting market demand
- Fairphone’s fully recycled, ethically sourced, smartphones
- Marketing and advertising
- Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are the most widely utilized platforms on a daily basis
- Graph 33: daily social media usage, by age, 2024
- Brands are utilizing TikTok to connect with younger demographics
- Brands have taken to social media to promote their sustainable packaging
- Downsizing can help brands save on materials – but these products can also be positioned as more eco-friendly
- Microsoft took to TikTok to educate consumers on how to calculate their carbon footprint
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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