How do parents teach their kids to live sustainably?

Seven in 10 parents are concerned about what the world will look like for their children in the years to come (72%), according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 parents of kids under 18 saw a quarter take it further and state the environment as more concerning than the future job market (11%), the political landscape (5%) or even the quality of food available in future years (10%).

How are they tackling that with their kids? The survey found that good habits start in the home for 41% who say it’s a high priority for their household to practice sustainability and nearly all parents surveyed encourage their kids not to be wasteful (89%).

According to the survey conducted by Talker Research for the Chinet brand, some of the common sustainability lessons parents pass down are to turn the lights off when not in the room (59%), don’t leave water running for long periods of time (55%) and to only use what they need (52%).

Others encourage their kids to avoid littering (50%) and to pass down old toys and clothes (46%).

And parents are living what they teach — one in four has even stopped being friends with someone over their sustainability habits or lack thereof (27%).

According to respondents, sharing similar views is important for relationship-building in adulthood, especially when it comes to lifestyle choices (53%), music (48%) and environmentalism (17%).

Among parenting methods (29%) and financial habits (21%), differences in the way others feel about the environment can also be a dealbreaker for respondents.

Why the commitment to environmentalism? Results showed that 72% believe their generation has a high responsibility to make efforts to be more sustainable to benefit the next generation before it’s too late.

According to respondents, being sustainable is easier with older children in the house (35%) than younger children.

However, doing the right thing isn’t always easy, no matter their child’s age: one in six admit they have a hard time practicing sustainability in their household.

When shopping for items for their child, nearly five times as many respondents admit that they think about convenience and time-saving options more than sustainability.
Even more respondents prioritize cost-effectiveness, although sustainability ranks similarly in priority to choosing organic products.

“We know that parents are always strapped for time,” said Melissa Rakos, product manager for the Chinet brand. “It can be challenging to balance time-saving tactics with sustainability goals while managing the hustle and bustle of daily life.”

Parents find themselves purchasing items that can be considered wasteful every month for their kids like frozen food (58%), tissues or paper towels (57%) and single-serve juice pouches (45%).

Respondents admitted that waste isn’t top of mind especially when using tissues and paper towels (32%) or single-serve snacks (32%).

But parents are also prepared to put their money where their mouth is.

When asked how much more they’d pay for sustainable versions of everyday items, the average parent said they’d spend 46% more for better tableware, 43% more for sustainable tissues and paper towels and 53% more for greener clothes.

Parents are hopeful that teaching their kids about sustainability will pay off, with nearly half believing that the next generation of adults will be more sustainable (48%).

"Leading by example is a great way to teach children about sustainability,” said Rakos. “Even if that means making small changes like choosing more sustainable disposable products, and showing your children how you recycle or compost, those changes will add up over time.”

Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 parents of kids under 18; the survey was commissioned by Chinet and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Aug. 26 and Sep. 3, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
● Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
● Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
● Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
● Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
● Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
● Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.