As our effects on the environment become increasingly prevalent, people are looking to get rid of unsustainable practices. The cost that comes with it may be more than what’s feasible for the average student.
For the people who want to do more than just the basics of recycling while at college, students might look for shop for products that are more friendly to the environment. Though it’s not something that everyone can afford, the fact that the product is green or clean adds to its worth.
“But others charge more simply because they can. ‘Eco-friendly’ or ‘sustainable’ branding is increasingly used as a marketing strategy to distinguish products as premium or elite, making them almost certain to appeal to wealthier shoppers,” CBS Money reporter Irina Ivanova said.
While it could be said that appealing to the wealthier shoppers to shop green, it leaves those of average wealth or lower unable to do much more.
This entry cost gives being green a type of elitism that can be used to shame people who can’t afford to pay that extra money to buy those products without going over budget or sacrificing other much needed items in some areas. As it becomes more popular, it’s become a new marketing tactic rather than being used to help the environment.
CBS noted that for some companies, “green” presentation is a marketing strategy rather than a sustainability promise.
This makes it so that the average student, while they might like to do more than just sorting their trash and recycling their pop cans and bottles, is not within their budget. As most things gain popularity, the prices jump, as can be seen with more people going thrift shopping to cut down on fast fashion.
This leaves students to do what’s possible and is sustainable. That being going to the store and recycling pop cans and bottles or having separate trash for recyclables that can be taken to the local recycling center.
“Unfortunately, if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle, or where you live, where it’s easy to recycle but you just do what you can,” Ferris student Kayleen Howard said.
Accessibility can be another block to entry when it comes to being green, with limited access to different stores or recycling centers or things like that. While the person might be willing to go the extra mile to be green, where they live can be another block for them. Such as having to pay for the truck to pick up the recycling if your county offers that.
“It’s pros and cons, like, yes you want to good for the environment, but then also are we really doing any good, if there are additional trucks at are on diesel,” Howard said.
Between being a green product as a marketing tactic to jack up the price of their products and the other costs of entry to being sustainable, it’s becoming something only the most elite and wealthy can afford to do. This leaves the others who want to do more unable to do so with the high cost of entry.
