Growing consumer demand for apparel and consumer products made in socially and environmentally responsible ways continues to drive companies away from a business-as-usual model. But corporate behavior isn’t the only thing being influenced by shifting consumer attitudes — the concept of the ideal partner is also being shaped by sustainability.
Forget Tinder — according to new survey findings from Timberland, individuals practicing eco-conscious behaviors could have a better chance of scoring a date than those who don’t. In its 2018 Eco-Love Survey, the outdoor lifestyle brand revealed that four-in-five Americans find it attractive when someone partakes in sustainable practices.
Timberland surveyed 1,000 men and women in the US to understand the importance of sustainability in finding love. The results speak for themselves — ‘green’ is the new red.
One-in-ten men and nearly as many women say that they’d like to meet someone at an activist event such as a protest or boycott, while three-fifths of people surveyed say they would want to meet someone while enjoying outdoor leisure activities. Volunteering events were also singled out by 42 percent of women and 31 percent of men as an ideal place to meet someone. One-in-ten participants even identified ride shares as a great place to meet their future partner.
The survey found that conserving water, tending a garden, turning off lights when not in use and considering the environmental impact of products are the top sustainable behaviors people find the most attractive. Survey participants said that volunteering for environmental causes, commuting in environmentally responsible ways and spending time outdoors also enhances a person’s attractiveness. Littering, climate change denial and not recycling were pinpointed as turn-offs.
While values-driven actions were largely the focus of the survey, Timberland also highlighted the shifting consumer preference for sustainably and responsibly made goods. According to the report, one-fifth would appreciate clothing made from recycled materials (20 percent) or lingerie made from organic cotton (19 percent) as a gift from their significant other.
“As Earthkeepers, good is at the heart of everything we do — whether that means making our products more responsibly, or making our communities stronger,” said Allison Crowley, Global Brand Manager for Timberland. “With the Eco-Love survey, we’ve found that doing good can also be a way to help make a love connection with someone who shares your values. When it comes to dating, it seems that sustainability is in style.”
Meanwhile, in response to the paradigm shift driving the findings of Timberland’s survey, 20 new brands have committed to eliminating the use of endangered forests in their textile supply chains by 2020. With these new additions, the CanopyStyle initiative has now surpassed 125 brand partners representing over $134 billion in annual revenue. All partner brands have committed to eliminating their use of ancient and endangered forests, as well as advance conservation solutions in landscapes such as Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem, Vancouver Island’s rainforests and Canada’s Boreal forest.
The latest cohort of fashion brands and retailers taking the lead on saving forests includes Canadian ethical clothing brand TAMGA Designs, zLabels (a subsidiary of Zalando that develops its in-house brands), leading Swedish clothing chain MQ Retail, high-tech mattress and home furniture producer Koala and Australia’s modern bohemian fashion brand Spell & The Gypsy Collective.
“The addition of 20 brands and designers from three continents is a clear signal of CanopyStyle’s continued and strengthening momentum around the world,” said Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director at Canopy. “The transformation of the viscose supply chain is going to be a game changer for our climate, for the lasting protection of forests and for the advancement of traditional communities’ rights.”
In recent months, Canopy and its brand, retail and design partners have catalyzed significant transformation of the viscose supply chain. Through work with producers and other industry stakeholders, 25 percent of the global viscose supply has now been verified at low risk of originating from ancient and endangered forests. An additional 35 percent of rayon supply is currently in the CanopyStyle Audit process and six next-generation solution enterprises are working with Canopy to bring their innovative technologies to market at scale.
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Published Feb 14, 2018 6am EST / 3am PST / 11am GMT / 12pm CET