Consumer Survey Insights: Q3 2025 Survey-Sustainability & Ethics

“Sustainability & Ethics” is one of eight the analyst Trendsights mega-trends that track evolving consumer behaviors and help companies maintain a competitive edge. Through its global consumer survey program, The analyst periodically assesses the magnitude and strength of each mega-trend and its influence on consumer behavior. This report analyzes survey responses related to the “Sustainability & Ethics” mega-trend to assess how the evolution of influences and behavioral patterns are changing, helping brands stay closely aligned with consumer sentiment in this mega-trend.

The "Sustainability & Ethics" mega-trend refers to the growing global awareness and concern around social and environmental challenges and the responsibilities of both consumers and companies to address them. It drives both consumers and brands to make decisions that reflect an increased commitment to values such as environmental sustainability, social responsibility, animal welfare, ethical sourcing, fair trade, and health awareness.

Report Scope

• Consumers, especially younger generations, expect brands to actively address social and environmental issues, with Generation Y showing the highest agreement on ethical statements. Brands should communicate their values clearly, emphasizing sustainability and ethical practices to foster consumer loyalty.
• Shoppers have a nuanced understanding of sustainability, prioritizing environmental, social, and ethical factors. Brands could emphasize eco-friendly materials and responsible resource management, which are particularly appealing to Boomers and Generation X.
• Consumer interest in purchasing refillable durable packaging to help reduce waste is growing across key consumer packaged goods categories. By improving the availability refillable products and promoting them across categories, brands can capitalize on this trend and contribute to sustainable consumption.

Reasons to Buy

• Sharpen sustainability, and ethics claims, by identifying what drives consumer trust (by brand type and “authenticity” cues) and what proof people expect to avoid greenwashing risk.
• Target growth around sustainability and ethics with sharper segmentation and commercial insight, by understanding generational and regional differences-plus willingness-to-pay, price barriers, localism, and category-specific behaviors-to tailor innovation, messaging, and pricing by market and category.
• Pinpoint which on-pack sustainability cues and packaging materials-glass, paperboard, metals, plastic-consumers are more willing to accept to help prioritize material and communication strategy that can drive purchase.
• Discover key insights into how to turn refillables into a scalable growth and packaging strategy by learning where the commercial upside is, and how to unlock it, how to promote refillables in ways consumers understand, and which refill model to prioritize by category and region.