What are the consumption and recycling habits of Millennials, the generation closely scrutinized by brands? That's what Éco-mobilier, the eco-organization in charge of collecting, sorting and recycling used furniture, sought to find out by surveying them, in partnership with lfop. The results reveal a heightened awareness of the principles of the circular economy, and the considerable potential of Millennials to participate in the recycling, reuse and recovery of used furniture.
92% of Millennials practice selective sorting
92% of those surveyed, aged between 18 and 34 and commonly referred to as "Millennials", claim to practice selective sorting. A strong and striking figure, which drops considerably when it comes specifically to furniture: 30% of them have the reflex of selective sorting for furniture.
Nevertheless, when we ask Millennials about the importance they attach to recycling, we learn that 93% of them consider this practice to be important or even essential. A figure that illustrates a strong environmental awareness and a willingness to take concrete action on a daily basis.
Upcycling: still a long way to go to win over Millennials
Upcycling (reclaiming materials or products no longer in use and transforming them into materials or products of superior quality or utility) is not a widespread practice among Millennials, as 66% claim not to have heard of it. When asked specifically, those who haven't heard of upcycling are more likely to try it out over the next 12 months, either by buying upcycled products (41%), or by upcycling objects and clothing themselves as gifts or for sale (37%).
Encouraging reflexes in line with the circular economy
83% of Millennials surveyed prefer to buy new furniture (including 49% in stores). At the same time, when it comes to getting rid of furniture, 38% of Millennials sell it on private sale websites and 35% drop it off at a recycling center.
The study - methodology
L'lfop conducted a study to gain a better understanding of this privileged and enigmatic target group, the Millennials,
i.e. 18-34 year-olds, both aspiring and seasoned consumers. Eco-mobilier found it interesting
to get to know them better, to better understand their habits and expectations around
recycling, reuse, etc.
Quantitative study carried out on a representative national sample of 1,000 individuals aged
18 to 34. The sample was structured according to the quota method (gender, age, profession of interviewee and head of household, region and urban area category) and conducted from Thursday, November 23 to
Friday, November 24, 2017.
About Eco-mobilier
Eco-mobilier was created in December 2011 by 12 French distributors and 12 manufacturers. A not-for-profit eco-organization, Eco-mobilier was approved by the public authorities on December 26, 2012 and reauthorized on December 26, 2017 for a period of 6 years, to manage the collection, sorting, recycling and recovery of all used furniture as well as to promote reuse. To fulfill this mission, eco-participation has been applied to the purchase of new furniture since May r 2013. Since its creation, Eco-mobilier has collected more than l million tonnes of used furniture, over 90% recovered, and is aiming for ZERO landfill by 2023.
Eco-mobilier in figures (estimates at the end of 2017): more than 4,000 collection points, in public drop-off centers, on social and solidarity economy platforms and with distributors or voluntary professionals/ 530,000 tonnes collected and 93% recovered, of which 58% recycled.