The Spread of Green Consumers - October 2001

The Spread of Green Consumers - October 2001

In 2001, Japan's Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-based Society (enacted in 2000) and the Home Appliance Recycling Law (enacted in April 2001) were being introduced, and environmental policies were beginning to permeate society. Against this backdrop, the "Green Consumer Movement," which aims to shift consumers' own purchasing behavior to an environmentally conscious one, attracted much attention. This movement was based on "10 principles" such as "buy only what you need in the quantity you need," "avoid excessive packaging," "choose products that last longer," and "give priority to recyclable products," and encouraged consumers to base their product selection on "environmental value" in addition to conventional price and convenience.

At the time, the market share in Japan was still limited to a few percent, but the number of stores selling organic foods and recycled products began to increase, especially in urban areas, and there were signs that the market would expand to more than 10%. This motivated companies to develop products and disclose environmental information in response to changes in consumer preferences, which also coincided with the spread of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In particular, electronics and chemical manufacturers have acquired ISO 14001 certification and published environmental reports, and the activities of the Green Purchasing Network (GPN) have influenced the procurement policies of both companies and local governments.

In Europe, especially in Germany, 80% of consumers were already at the stage of choosing environmentally conscious products, a significant difference from Japan. However, the existence of such a movement aroused a sense of crisis in Japanese society that Japan was "behind the curve," and it spurred a concerted effort by the government and companies to hasten the spread of the movement. The green consumer movement was not merely an act of individual choice, but an opportunity to shake up systems, markets, and corporate behavior, and it marked the beginning of the path to today's sustainable society.