Three quarters of Brits (75 per cent) are planning to make at least one lifestyle change over the next year to reduce their impact on the environment, according to personal finance comparison website finder.com.
This includes more than 4 in 10 (42 per cent) who plan to make changes to the way they buy and use clothes. The most popular option within this category is to buy ethical and sustainable clothes, with over a quarter planning to do this (27 per cent).
Other positive retail intentions include 14 per cent who will buy second hand clothes to reduce their impact and 1 in 10 (11 per cent) who will simply buy less clothes over the coming 12 months.
The research found the most common adjustments Brits are planning to take will involve reducing their waste in some way. This includes things like buying products with less packaging to using less water, and half of the UK (50 per cent) say they intend to do something like this. The most popular task people currently do to help the environment is recycling plastic and glass, with 9 in 10 (90 per cent) of the public claiming to do this.
The second most popular category was modifying transportation methods, with 45 per cent of Brits said they will reduce their carbon output by doing things like using their car less in favour of cycling, walking, taking public transport, carpooling or purchasing an electric or hybrid vehicle. However, only 1 in 10 (10 per cent) currently own an environmentally-friendly vehicle making the least popular action taken at the moment.
Around 2 in 5 (42 per cent) will improve their shopping habits to reduce their environmental impact over the next 12 months. In fact, over a quarter (27 per cent) of Brits will buy more ethical and sustainable clothes, making this the most popular single change Brits plan to make.
The category of actions that will see the least change will be Brits opting for energy efficient appliances, only 14 per cent say they will opt for more of these items over the next 12 months.
The generation that will make the least changes is the silent generation with only 3 in 5 (59 per cent) intending to make environmentally friendly alterations. On the other hand, 89 per cent of gen Z plan to make lifestyle changes that will reduce their environmental impact.
After recycling glass and plastic, the second most common action Brits currently take to help the environment is not filling the kettle up fully when making a drink (81 per cent). In third place, 4 in 5 Brits (80 per cent) use energy efficient appliances and actively try to reduce their food waste.
Top individual actions Brits will take over the next 12 months
| Action | % that will start to do this over the next year |
| Buy ethical and sustainable clothes | 27% |
| Using environmentally-friendly cleaning products | 22% |
| Using environmentally-friendly self-care and hygiene products | 22% |
| Eat locally grown food | 22% |
| Buy plants to combat air-pollution | 20% |
| Plant trees | 19% |
| Stopped using wipes, wet wipes etc | 18% |
| Buy an electric or hybrid vehicle | 18% |
| Grow my own food | 18% |
| Move my investments into ethical funds and/or companies | 17% |
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