Solid soap, tumblers, and glass straws... The rising trend of 'value consumption' among the MZ generation

MZ Generation's Consumption Trend 'Meaning Out'
Solid Soap Popular Instead of Liquid
Declining Disposable Cups... Tumbler Sales Also Growing

Photo by Asia Economy DB.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Recently, as interest in eco-friendliness has increased, the number of young people aiming for so-called 'Meaning-out' consumption is growing. Meaning-out refers to the act of actively expressing one's beliefs or values through consumption activities. For example, purchasing products that help the environment even if they are somewhat expensive. The distribution industry is also releasing products and services aimed at sustainability in line with the Meaning-out trend.

Recently, Meaning-out consumption has increased mainly among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). According to an analysis of transaction data over the past three years by Lotte Members' research platform Lime, sales of Meaning-out related products increased by 171.4% in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the previous period. In particular, the proportion of Meaning-out related product purchases by the MZ generation was 21%, higher than other generations such as Generation X (19%) and Baby Boomers (16%).

As more young people emphasize value consumption, interest in 'Zero Waste' products is also rising. A representative product is solid soap. Solid soap has been recognized as a typical eco-friendly product because it produces less plastic waste and contains fewer chemical ingredients compared to liquid-type products.

In particular, Shinsaegae International's solid soap 'Jaju Zerobar,' released last year, gained popularity by selling out five months' worth of planned inventory within one month of launch. At that time, 80% of customers were consumers in their 20s and 30s.

Besides soap, various household items such as toothpaste and shampoo are also being released in solid form. Existing toothpaste or shampoo containers are often made of composite materials, making recycling difficult. However, solid products are mostly packaged in paper, leaving no plastic waste after use.

Photo by Asia Economy DB.

Meanwhile, the number of people purchasing tumblers in line with the eco-friendly trend is also increasing. According to Lock&Lock, domestic tumbler sales from January to May this year increased by more than 60% compared to last year. This also appears to be related to the 'Zero Waste' movement aimed at reducing disposable product use.

Some people use reusable straws made of metal, glass, bamboo, silicone, etc., instead of disposable plastic straws. Originally, plastic straws were criticized as major environmental pollutants because they take over 500 years to decompose and are difficult to recycle.

The food service industry is also engaging in eco-friendly activities such as reducing disposable products. For example, McDonald's has set a goal to replace all packaging materials used in McDonald's stores worldwide with 100% recyclable or reusable materials by 2025.

Additionally, since October 2020, McDonald's has introduced strawless drink lids nationwide, the first in the industry. This has reduced plastic straw usage by a total of 115 tons. Starbucks has also expanded paper straws and wooden sticks to all stores nationwide since 2018 and introduced ice cup lids that allow drinking without a straw.

Professor Lee Eunhee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, "Young people actively engage in environmental activities by practicing value consumption and sharing environmental protection know-how with others. Meaning-out consumption is further activated online because posting one's desirable behavior on SNS and other platforms allows it to spread more quickly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.