Gen Z cannot afford original or sustainable products

According to a recent study by Untold Insights, the cost of living crisis is having a negative effect on the quality of purchases of younger generations. Forced to prefer cheaper products, Gen Z and many Millennials feel compelled to commit their earnings to cheaper buys, i.e. fast fashion and fake items, unintentionally affecting the environment. The UK research company reported that 96% of Gen Z and Millennials are unable to make sustainable choices due to the crisis, and 53% say they have to prioritise cheaper options over eco-conscious ones. A clear sign of this phenomenon can be found on TikTok, where the mania for «dupe» products is rampant, transforming the reputation of these kind of articles by adding hype to them and pushing, thanks to the unstoppable trend cycle sustained on the app, the promotion of brands such as E.l.f and Essence Beauty, which are more affordable for those who buy them, but very expensive for our planet.

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Despite the fact that the younger generations are generally the most invested in environmental causes, the rising cost of living as well as the price of items are pushing them to make choices far removed from their civic sense. On TikTok, the hashtag #dupe has garnered almost 4 billion views, demonstrating how young people are increasingly driven to search for beauty products with the same qualities as luxury ones, but at a lower price. While it would be natural to place the blame on the younger demographic, for the director of Earthopia, the company that funded Untold Insights' research, the future of the sustainable market lies in the hands of international governments. «Sustainable products are often cheaper in the long run due to their reusability,» Rob Greenfield explains to WWD, «however, the typically higher upfront costs can make life difficult for many young people trying to live sustainably. It is critical that governments do more to level the playing field by taxing those that produce low-quality, plastic-heavy, energy-intensive products. and, in turn, incentivising them to produce more affordable and sustainable alternatives.»