- UK consumers are willing to pay up to 49p more for biodegradable plastic bottles, research from Corvinus University of Budapest finds
- However, this does not fully offset the higher production costs, which presents a challenge for manufacturers
- As a result, manufacturers must innovate their business models to support affordable sustainability
Do you remember the VSCO Girl of 2019?
If not, let me paint a picture for you. The VSCO Girl can be found frequenting her local beach, helping to save baby turtles, armed with a hydro flask and an eco-friendly metal straw. She has a string of puka shells laced around her neck, and she is probably wearing an oversized T-shirt and Birkenstocks. Named after a photo-editing app, the VSCO girl is a popular Gen Z subculture which marries style with environmental consciousness.
It’s certainly a more empowering label than its predecessors, like the much-scorned ‘Basic Girl’ of 2014, though the VSCO Girl seems to have been mocked and embraced in equal measure. She engages with sustainability so visibly that it has drawn accusations of being gimmicky; nevertheless, she is at least taking responsibility as a consumer to ensure her choices are mindful, ethical, and environmentally friendly.
Reaching peak popularity during the pandemic, the VSCO girl has now, for the most part, faded into obscurity. Was this just another trend, meant to be blown through and eventually discarded, like so many other single-use fads, to pile up in the cultural landfill?
According to new research from Corvinus University of Budapest, while the aesthetics of the VSCO Girl may have faded, her ethos is certainly alive and well.
The legacy of the VSCO Girl: sustainability is here to stay
Professor Matthew Gorton, in partnership with the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise, and colleagues from Newcastle University Business School, and the University of Debrecen, investigated how variables such as the type of packaging (biodegradable plastic or non-biodegradable PET), an attached charitable donation, and the overall price influenced UK consumers’ willingness to pay for bottled water.
They also investigated the influence of a consumer’s interest in nature and green consumption on purchase.
Through this, they found UK consumers were willing to pay up to 49p more for water packaged in biodegradable plastic bottles, compared to standard, non-biodegradable PET bottles.
Sustainability Values and Consumer Behaviour
The study found that differing values regarding sustainability were central to consumers’ decisions, but they influenced behaviour in different ways. For example, consumers with a strong connection to nature were found to be more likely to choose biodegradable bottles, but those with high “green consumption values” – meaning they prioritise sustainability in everything they buy (think VSCO Girl) – were more likely to avoid purchasing bottled water entirely, seeing it as single-use and, therefore, wasteful.
As well as this, the study even revealed that consumers were also more willing to pay for bottled water if a charitable donation was being made with their purchase. These findings, the researchers say, suggest that consumers feel it is a priority that the businesses they choose to support, are also in support of their own values. Clearly, consumers don’t shy away from spending a bit more if it means making a sustainable choice.
The Challenge for Manufacturers
While this is positive news, Professor Gorton points out a problem: “While consumers are willing to pay more for biodegradable packaging, at present the costs of biodegradable plastic packaging are similar to, or greater than, the average willingness to pay identified in the study,” making it more complicated for manufacturers to switch to biodegradable options without taking a financial loss.
Associate Professor Ãron Török adds, “It is difficult for manufacturers to pass on the full additional cost of biodegradable plastics to consumers when switching from PET containers.”
Innovation for a Sustainable Future
In 2020, the world generated around 150 million tons of plastic waste. By 2022, 71% of consumers globally reported making lifestyle changes and adjusting their purchasing habits to live more sustainably. This could be, in part, a result of ‘greenshifting’, which is a practice where companies “pass the responsibility to act in an eco-friendly way on to consumers” despite the fact “80% of global carbon emissions from 2016-2022 being produced by only 57 companies.” Consumers are trying to take responsibility for their carbon footprints, but it is undeniable that individual action is not nearly enough.
Since it has been proven that consumers will take on a limited extra cost in the interest of sustainability, it’s up to companies to innovate and find new ways to make sustainable options affordable for everyone. The time for this is now.
A ‘VSCO Makeover’ for Companies
Just like the VSCO Girl, who integrates sustainability into everything she does, companies could benefit from a ‘VSCO makeover’ themselves, changing the very way they operate, to help reduce their carbon footprint. The VSCO Girl popularised sustainable habits, and embodied a unique kind of approachable eco-consciousness, woven into every-day life. While the VSCO Girl look may have passed, the values she brought into the mainstream have not.
Taking a similar stance to Professor Gorton’s and Török’s work, a recent global retail sector survey by First Insight revealed Gen Z to be the most sustainably minded and motivated market, with 62% of those surveyed stating a preference for buying from known sustainable brands and 73% confirming they would happily pay more for sustainable products.
This example of lasting impact is exactly what companies should learn from. Real, ingrained change is needed, and will not be substituted by surface-level gestures. It is clear that this transformation is not only necessary for companies to help slow the climate crisis, but also to connect with a market that is, clearly, increasingly environmentally conscious.
By, Ella Coates
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