Buying ‘green’ doesn’t make you happier, but buying nothing does

A recent study by the University of Arizona found that buying green doesn’t actually improve our emotional wellbeing – but buying nothing will.

There is a new kind of consumer emerging amidst the climate crisis: the green materialist. These shoppers – identified in a recent study by Associate Professor Sophie Helm at the University of Arizona – gravitate toward more ‘sustainable’ products, satiating their materialistic urges with something they perceive as more environmentally friendly rather than resisting them altogether. But are they happier for it?

According to the study, published in the journal Young Consumers, the answer is no. In fact, buying green in general appears to have no positive impact on our mental health – but those who reduce their consumption by resisting the urge to buy were shown to be happier for it and their actions are exponentially better for the environment.

The study investigated two pro-environmental behaviours in Millenials, who are now the most influential consumer group. The first, reduced consumption, includes actions like repairing clothes instead of replacing them, resisting impulse buys and avoiding unnecessary purchases. The second, “green buying”, concerns buying products designed to reduce their environmental impact, like those made from recycled materials. It was then investigated how these pro-environmental behaviours influenced people’s wellbeing. Consuming less was linked to better personal wellbeing and lower psychological distress, while “green buying” wasn’t found to improve consumer wellbeing at all, despite its positive environmental implications.

"We thought it might satisfy people that they participated in being more environmentally conscious through green buying patterns, but it doesn't seem to be that way," says Associate Professor Sophie Helm at the University of Arizona. "Reduced consumption has effects on increased well-being and decreased psychological distress, but we don't see that with green consumption."

But why? "If you have a lot of stuff, you have a lot on your mind," Helm says. “It requires maintenance and being organized. It's not like you buy it and you're done with it. There's a lot of burdens of ownership, and if you relieve yourself of that burden of ownership, most people report feeling a lot better and freer.” It also alleviates guilt. Our overconsumption of resources is a leading contributor to global climate change, and as we become more and more aware of this reality, consumption induces guilt. Less buy, less buyers guilt. And, of course, there are the obvious financial implications as well.

Ultimately, there’s one major takeaway: "The key is to reduce consumption and not just buy green stuff. Having less and buying less can actually make us more satisfied and happier," Helm said. This is more challenging for those with materialistic tendencies, which is why there’s been such a surge in this kind of “green materialism”. Helm acknowledges how difficult this shift can be, saying "We've been told since childhood that there's a product for everything and it's OK to buy, and it's a good thing because that's how the economy works," she said. "We're brought up this way, so changing behaviours is very difficult."

So, where do we start? One of the longest ever studies on the topic conducted in the US and Iceland found that the answer is in knowledge and goal setting. By undergoing a series of educational sessions about consumer culture and being encouraged to clarify their intrinsic values (self-growth, relationships, contributing to the community), the study group were able to set more long-term, meaningful goals and make informed decisions based on their values – not on short-term materialistic desires – in turn becoming less materialistic and increasing their self-esteem.

The emergence of “green materialism”, while slightly lessening the environmental impact of consumption on the environment, is essentially just an extension of materialism. And it probably won’t save the planet either. According to the Carbon Majors Report, industrial emissions are the biggest contributor to climate change, with just 100 companies contributing to around 71% of all global emissions. If left unchanged, we’re on track for a 4C temperature increase by the end of the century.

Of course, conscious consumption is important, and every small action makes a positive impact, but this alone not enough to make a significant change, alleviate our individual climate guilt or make us happier. More stuff is part of the problem, whether it’s “green” or not. When it comes to our planet and our mental health, we have to consume less altogether if we’re going to make a real difference.