Two-thirds of Americans have had an “eco wake-up call” since ꦰthe start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a♔ccording to new research.
A survey of 2,000 Americans revealed 64 percent have had a moment since the pandemic started wherein they realized they n⭕eeded to be more eco-friendly.
And this might be a result of payinꦦg c🍸loser attention — 70 percent said being home more due to COVID-19 made them more aware of their eco-unfriendly behaviors.
These eco wake-up calls included becoming more aware of wasting food (44 percent), using 🌞paper products more sparingly (43 percent) and being more careful about where they buy meat (38 percent).
But while these behaviors mﷺight have been influenced by the pandemic, they aren’t goin𓂃g away when COVID-19 does.
Commissioned🔯 by and conducted by OnePo🗹ll, the survey found 81 percent of respondents plan to keep their newfound eco-friendly habits.
The top way thꩵey’re doing this is by continuing t💖o recycle more often (55 percent), followed by continuing to reduce the amount of paper products they use (44 percent).
And 42 percent of those s🍸urveyed plan to work from home one day per week, instead of commuting, in order to reduce their ca🌄rbon footprint.
More than that, respondents also p🎶lan to continuไe composting more often (37 percent) and take public transportation more frequently (35 percent).
Those aren’t the only habits respondents are picking up right now: A third (32 percent) pl🦩an to contin𝕴ue wearing a face mask even after receiving the “all-clear” from the CDC.
“We’re living in unprecedented, devastating times,” said Mark Abrials, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Avocado Green Mattress. “Now, more than ev💞er, we’ve been presented with an opportunity to reflect on and reassess our current way of living as a society and help make strides towards adopting more thoughtful sustainable habits.”
COVID-19 hasn’t just cha𝐆nged our habits, but the survey found it’s also affecte🌌d the way we think about the world.
Results revealed 79 percent of respondents have been thinking more 🙈about the connectedness of people and the planet as a result of COVID-19.
WHO believes it likely that COVID-19 sജpread from animals to people — and as a result, two-thirds of respondents (66 percent) said the pandemic has made them think more about the ethical treatment of liv𒁏estock animals.
Seventy-one percent are ꦆnow more conscious of buying ethically-sourced meat and 58 😼percent have cut back on the amount of meat they consume.
“Through this crisis, it has become undeniably apparent how connected our own health is to the hea🐻lth of our planet,” said Abrials. “We truly are all in this together, on a global scale and even the smallest actions add up to create meaningful change.”
Eco-friendly changes respondents have made since COVID-19 started
- Reduced the amount of food they’re wasting: 44 percent
- Used paper products more sparingly: 43 percent
- Been more careful of where they buy meat: 38 percent
- Shopped more sustainably: 36 percent
- Recycled more often: 36 percent
- Reduced my water usage: 35 percent
- Video chatting instead of traveling to see friends and family: 29 percent
- Reduced my commute: 28 percent
- Used time to read books instead of solely streaming shows: 25 percent
- Started using a community garden (or their own garden): 19 percent