2023 Sustainability Trends - Consumer Insights Report

NMI's report is the 21st annual U.S. report Natural Marketing Institute has published on the state of the sustainability market. The report measures and describes the marketplace for sustainable products and services, the consumers who use them, consumers’ expectations of corporate behavior, and attitudes toward environmental and social issues.

In addition, it uncovers consumer motivations and the challenges they encounter in their pursuit to become increasingly aligned with a more sustainable lifestyle.

The past few years have been challenging for consumers. They have had to deal with a global pandemic, a turbulent economy, historically high inflation, global political turmoil, food shortages, and empty store shelves. In response, consumers are taking inventory and realizing that aspects of their previous way of life may be unsustainable, which is prompting a reorganization of priorities and formation of innovative behaviors realigned with a more thoughtful, sustainable and healthier lifestyle.  Therefore, when viewing trends within this report, it is important to note that some shifts in attitudes and behaviors may be reactive responses to current events while others have staying power and may be more permanent shifts. 

That said, consumers continue to hold strong attitudes toward environmental protection and are taking small but progressive steps toward incorporating more sustainable and environmentally-friendly behaviors into their lifestyle. In effect, while consumers may exhibit some anxiety about global and national issues, they realize that sustainability is not something that can be put on hold. In fact, since much of their anxiety may be driven by a sense of helplessness, being sustainable and taking part in green behaviors helps them feel a sense of control and purpose for the greater good. Even further, consumers are making purchasing decisions based on a growing set of values-based qualities from toxin-free to fair trade.  Therefore, the need for an understanding of consumer drivers that affect behavior patterns has never been stronger.

In this report, we uncover green consumer insights into what may lie ahead and provide perspective on the trends within the sustainability market from a consumer point of view.  

Some of the Sustainable topics covered in this consumer report:

• Consumer insights regarding the health of the planet and what issues resonate most with them
• How segments within society view sustainability differently and what motivates this differentiation
• Behaviors consumers are adopting to live more sustainably
• The feasibility of a “circular economy”
• Consumer attitudes toward plastic and packaging
• Interest in corporate initiatives
• Sustainable product purchase and interest in environmentally-friendly versions of categories
• …and much more