Third of UK adults worried cost of living will prevent them from shopping sustainably

Young people are implementing wardrobe ‘hacks’ to balance cost and environmental impact

(iStock)

More than one third of UK shoppers are worried that the rising cost of living will prevent them from making sustainable choices when shopping, new research has found.

Almost half of those aged between 18 and 34 (45 per cent) reported that they might be forced to divert away from sustainable products, despite being the age group that is most likely to consider the environment when shopping for clothes.

The survey of 2,039 adults, conducted by Primark, found that the younger age group is implementing wardrobe “hacks” to try to dress more consciously on a budget.

Around one third (31 per cent) of those under the age of 34 said they are building themselves a capsule wardrobe – a wardrobe full of key, staple pieces that can be mixed and matched to create different outfits. An additional 41 per cent said they are swapping and selling their clothes.

Meanwhile only 23 per cent of people aged between 35 and 54 were focusing on curating their wardrobes in the same way or selling their clothes.

The UK’s rate of inflation rose to a new 40-year high earlier this week.

The Consumer Prices Index increased to 10.1 per cent in the 12 months to July, up from 9.4 per cent in June, the Office for National Statistics said.

In June, data analytics firm Kantar carried out a survey to assess whether the cost-of-living crisis was impacting consumer behaviour.

The research studied responses from 9,000 people across nine countries: The US, UK, Brazil, Germany, France, Spain, China, India and Singapore.

On average, 64 per cent said they want to do better for the environment and be more mindful of the planet in their daily habits, but they are prevented by steep costs. In the UK, 60 per cent of people shared this sentiment.