Something interesting happened to my grocery trolley about six months ago. Habitual purchases suddenly become not so habitual. The brands I had been buying week in, week out for years suddenly were not the ones being purchased any more. Instead, many had come under harsh scrutiny – they were either in or out. There was no maybe, and no product categories or brands were immune. Any product that contained palm oil or derivatives of palm oil was no longer allowed, even our dog’s food.

This detective-like examination of grocery items, and whether they were allowed or not, was not begun by me, but instead by my 9-year-old daughter. After learning at school about the devastating effects of palm oil plantations on the environment, my daughter decided that she had a personal obligation to try and make things better. She scanned barcodes with apps, checked ingredients, and searched online if she was unsure of palm oil inclusion. She was on a mission to make sure everything I bought was palm oil free. This meant brands I had grown up with, and had subsequently bought out of habit, were no longer purchased. Decades of brand loyalty gone in an instant.

You might argue that most kids go through phases like this, have been for generations and it is nothing more than a phase which will soon pass. Well, I’m not so sure. My daughter’s absolute conviction, non-wavering dedication and the obligation she feels in playing her part to fix the current state of world affairs got me thinking. Are there a new generation of children out there, that really do care and think of themselves as a responsible part of the bigger picture?

A bit of desk research revealed that yes, there are a new generation of children and teenagers who are showing surprising ‘self-awareness versus self-centeredness’. A report commissioned by Ernst and Young found ‘Generation Z are placing a greater emphasis on their role in the world as part of a larger ecosystem and their responsibility to help improve it’. This is explained as something distinct to the generation that came before them who ‘were more interested in what they could gain for themselves by being environmentally conscious’.

What does this mean for brands then? As my daughter has illustrated, a lot. Brands that are not prepared to share their obligation in helping the environment will not even reach the   consideration set of this new generation, regardless of how much they may like the product or not.

After examining hundreds of different brands in the supermarket, it has become clear which brands have already realised that they too are interested in being part of the solution. They are the ones that I now buy, and are the ones that my 9-year-old daughter has become loyal to.

Written by Elle.