The Spread of Green Consumers - October 2001

The Spread of Green Consumers - October 2001

In 2001, environmentally conscious consumer behavior was beginning to attract public attention in Japan against the backdrop of the enforcement of the Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-Oriented Society and the Home Appliance Recycling Law. The green consumer movement, based on the "10 principles" of "buy what you need, in the quantities you need," "avoid disposables," "reduce excessive packaging," and "choose recyclable products," created a new trend in that it placed "environmental value" in addition to price and convenience as criteria for purchasing. At the time, the market size was only a few percent of the total market, but with the increase in the number of stores selling organic food and recycled products, especially in urban areas, growth in excess of 10% was expected.

This movement triggered a change in corporate attitudes and accelerated the trend toward disclosing environmental information and promoting sustainable management. In particular, ISO 14001 certification became widespread among electronics and chemical manufacturers, and the publication of environmental reports became commonplace. Furthermore, the activities of the Green Purchasing Network (GPN) influenced the procurement policies of companies and local governments, and encouraged the expansion of the market for environmentally friendly products. In Europe, especially in Germany, nearly 80% of consumers had already chosen environmentally friendly products, and although the gap between Japan and Europe was large, the sense of crisis over this "lag" was the driving force behind the hastening of the spread of these products in Japan.

The green consumer movement went beyond mere individual purchasing choices and had the social power to shake up institutions, markets, and corporate activities. It was an opportunity for consumer awareness and action to change the market structure toward the formation of a sustainable society, and represented a historical phase that laid the foundation for today's CSR management and ethical consumption.