Consumer habits form in childhood and resist correction once ingrained

Evidence

People are generally unaware of how the products they buy and consume affect the environment. If they are to make decisions that support environmental conservation, they need to be informed of the ecological costs of their consumer habits and enabled and motivated to turn enlightened concern into beneficial courses of action. Many lifelong consumer habits are formed during childhood. It is easier to prevent wasteful practices than to try to change them after they have become deeply ingrained. … It tracks the energy and ecological costs of the manufacture, distribution, marketing, sale, and waste disposal of everyday items such as T-shirts and sneakers. Providing teenagers with sound information helps them make informed buying choices. As one viewer put it, “I’ll never look at a T-shirt in the same way.” — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2913