A new study shows that eco-friendly shopping is increasing in popularity, with the majority of shoppers now paying closer attention to sustainability.

The findings, published by Acosta Research, show that more than half of consumers (56%) are concerned about the future of the planet and will consider the impacts of their shopping has on the environment.

Moreover, 75% of millennial shoppers said that the factor of sustainability was important when buying pre-packaged goods.

The results also show a curious link with sustainable shopping and the coronavirus: 40% of consumers said they are more concerned about sustainability now than they were before the pandemic.

“Consumers are continuing to place an emphasis on sustainability when making purchasing decisions, showing that eco-friendly lifestyles are here to stay,” said Colin Stewart, Executive Vice President of Business Intelligence at Acosta.

“Retailers have an opportunity and responsibility to think through their environmental footprint and deliver value in ways that matter increasingly more to their customers.”

Indeed, the study also pointed out that eco-friendly shopping and sustainable lifestyles have received a significant increase in consumer attention this year.

At least 80% of shoppers are now making it a priority to reduce, reuse, and recycle products and the packaging they purchase. More than half (60%) of shoppers also said they were paying more attention to the effect packaging has on the environment.

Though older shoppers were more likely to recycle said packaging, younger shoppers showed a keener interest in modifying their initial purchasing habits.

Product purchase behaviors have also changed; eco-friendly shopping continues to explode alongside the nascent rise of plant-based meat and milk alternatives, as well as sustainable beauty products that refuse to test on animals.

A staggering 85% of those who buy green products will always or most likely buy them in the future, indicating that eco-friendly shopping should remain popular amid changing market trends, benefitting the planet in turn.

However, there is a prominent lack on the part of retailers and manufacturers, of whom only a third of shoppers said they could notice sustainability being championed.

Thus 65% of shoppers say companies should be investing more in eco-friendly shopping and overall sustainability.