Eco and Ethical Lifestyles – Ireland – February 2019
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Report Summary
“Recent press headlines such as floating plastic islands in the ocean have thrust ethical and environmental issues into the spotlight. Although Irish consumers are increasingly interested in the idea of being more ‘ethical’, many are struggling in practice, offering an opportunity for brands to connect with consumers’ passions and lend a helping hand.”
– Emma McGeown, Research Analyst
This report will look at the following areas:
- Growing population puts pressure on resources
- Greater uptake of recycling and ethical waste management in Ireland
- Retailers play their part in cutting down on food waste
- Interest rising in renewable energy, but incentives needed to hike usage
- Vegan claims double in 2018
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Issues covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Market drivers
- Growing population puts pressure on resources
- Greater uptake of recycling and ethical waste management in Ireland
- Retailers play their part in cutting down on food waste
- Interest rising in renewable energy, but incentives needed to hike usage
- Vegan claims double in 2018
- Companies and innovations
- The consumer
- Eight in ten Irish recycle
- Figure 1: Eco and ethical activities consumers regularly do, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Climate change one of the top ethical issues
- Figure 2: Environmental and ethical issues most important to consumers, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Companies who pay fair wages appeal to Irish consumers
- Figure 3: Ethical practices that influence consumers to buy companies products, NI and RoI, November 2018
- More emphasis should be placed on education
- Figure 4: Attitudes towards eco and ethical lifestyles, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Plastic-free stores of interest in the future
- Figure 5: Ethical concepts that Irish consumers would be interested in using in the future, NI and RoI, November 2018
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The Market – What You Need to Know
- Population growth puts resources under pressure
- Increasing efforts on recycling
- Retailers get behind recuing waste
- Renewable energy is on the rise
- NPD in vegan claims doubles in 2018
- Population growth puts resources under pressure
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Market Drivers
- Growing population puts pressure on resources
- Figure 6: Irish population, by year, IoI, 2010-17
- Waste management and recycling rates increase in NI
- Figure 7: Local authority collection of waste, by dry recycling and waste composting (in tonnes), NI, April-June 2016 to April-June 2018
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- Figure 8: Percentage recovery and recycling rates, RoI, 2009-16
- Retailers tackling packaging waste
- Figure 9: Consumers who agree that plastic and waste disposal issues are most important to them, NI and RoI, November 2018
- NI and RoI expected to exceed EU’s 2020 gas emissions target
- Usage of renewable energy sources remains niche
- Figure 10: Comparable renewables percentages for the UK, by country, 2006-16
- Figure 11: Energy generated by renewable sources for primary energy supply, by million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe), RoI, 2006-19
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- Figure 12: Types of renewable sources of energy, NI and RoI, September 2018
- The rise of veganism
- Figure 13: Selective diets that consumers currently adhere to, NI and RoI, June 2018
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- Figure 14: Number of new products launched with vegan claims, by category, NI and RoI, 2012-18
- Growing population puts pressure on resources
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Who’s Innovating – What You Need to Know
- Companies facilitating ways for Irish consumers to be more ethical
- Glanbia Ireland leading research project to identify bio-plastics
- Reducing carbon emissions is key for companies based in Ireland
- Plastic packaging proving difficult for food and drink brands to quit
- Companies facilitating ways for Irish consumers to be more ethical
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Who’s Innovating
- Reduction in plastic packaging is a challenge for food and drink brands
- Figure 15: Top 10 claims made by new Food and Drink products launched in the UK and Ireland, 2014-18
- Supermarket action on plastics
- Plastic still a key packaging material
- Figure 16: Top 10 Packaging materials used in new food and drink products launched, UK and Ireland, 2014-18
- Irish beauty and personal care industry increasing the launch of non-animal tested products
- Figure 17: Top 10 claims from new Beauty and Personal Care products launched, UK and Ireland, 2014-18
- Business in the Community Ireland summit gets 43 companies to pledge to lower carbon emissions by 2030
- Energy companies in Ireland making switch to renewable energy
- Evocco app recognised by United Nations
- Sustainable fashion permeates further into clothing industry
- Reduction in plastic packaging is a challenge for food and drink brands
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The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- Recycling is the most population ethical activity
- Climate change one of the top ethical issues
- Ethical companies can influence Irish consumers
- Irish consumers find it hard to know how ethical a company is
- Plastic-free stores of interest in the future
- Recycling is the most population ethical activity
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Environmental Activities Consumers Engage In
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- Most Irish consumers recycle
- Figure 18: Eco and ethical activities consumers regularly do, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Over 55s more inclined to recycle
- Figure 19: Consumers who regularly recycle, by age, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Urban consumers more inclined to use public transport
- Figure 20: Consumer who regularly travel by public transport and walk or bike to places, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Irish cutting down on packaging
- Figure 21: Consumers who regularly avoid buying products with lots of packaging, NI and RoI, November 2018
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Importance of Environmental Issues
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- Climate change and animal welfare top ethical issues
- Figure 22: Environmental issues most important to consumers, NI and RoI, November 2018
- RoI consumers most concerned with climate change
- Figure 23: Agreement with the statement ‘The impact of climate change is already noticeable in Northern Ireland/Ireland’, NI and RoI, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Animal welfare important to Irish women
- Figure 24: Consumers who agree that animal welfare is the most important ethical/environmental issue to them, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2018
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- Figure 25: Consumers who consider themselves vegetarian and flexitarian (eg mainly eat plants but occasionally eat meat), by gender, NI and RoI, June 2018
- A third concerned with ocean pollution
- Figure 26: Consumers who agree that plastic pollution and ocean pollution is the most important ethical/environmental issue to them, NI and RoI, November 2018
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Importance of Ethical Company Behaviour
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- Fair wages important to Irish consumers
- Figure 27: Ethical practices that influence consumers to buy companies products, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Irish consumers influenced by fair wages
- Figure 28: Consumers who said companies who support fair wages and ethical labour practices influence where they shop, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Fairtrade influences a third of Irish consumers
- Figure 29: Consumers who said companies who retail Fairtrade products influence where they shop, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Companies which donate to charity appeal to women
- Figure 30: Consumers who agree that companies who donate a portion of profits to charity influence where they shop, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2018
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Attitudes towards Ethical Issues
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- Environment education is fundamental
- Figure 31: Attitudes towards eco and ethical lifestyles, NI and RoI, November 2018
- More teaching of environmental practices in schools demanded
- Figure 32: Agreement with the statement ‘environmentally friendly practices should be taught to children in schools’ and ‘Fines (eg for littering etc) are an effective method of encouraging better environmental behaviour’, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Consumers want to see the results of their efforts
- Figure 33: Agreement with the statement ‘it’s more appealing to act in a more environmentally friendly way when you can see the results of your actions’, by age, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Boycotting companies can encourage them to change
- Figure 34: Agreement with the statement ‘boycotting companies that behave unethically is an effective way to make them change’, NI and RoI, November 2018
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Ethical Innovations
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- Plastic-free stores appeal to Irish consumers
- Figure 35: Ethical concepts that Irish consumers would be interested in using in the future, NI and RoI, November 2018
- The war on plastic continues
- Figure 36: Consumers who would be interested in using a plastic-free store in the future, by presence of children in the household, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Ethical goods appeal to affluent consumers
- Figure 37: Consumers who would be interested in using products made with recycled goods (eg shoes made from old tyres) in the future, by affluency, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Opportunity for more retailers to go sustainable
- Figure 38: Consumers who would be interested in using Ethical fashion stores (eg ethical labour practices) in the future, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2018
- Half of consumers interested in zero waste restaurants
- Figure 39: Consumers who would be interested in zero food-waste restaurants in the future, NI and RoI, November 2018
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
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