Eco Gender Gap: Why Green Was Turned Pink & How to Change It

Giada Nizzoli

Eco Gender Gap: Why Green Was Turned Pink & How to Change It

From reducing our single-use plastic consumption to choosing eco-friendly products and ethically made clothes, there are many things that we can all do to live more sustainably

So what is this eco gender gap about?

While 71% of women try and live more ethically, only 59% of men do

A national survey showed that a lot more women are improving their lifestyle in an ethical way.

Not only that, but 65% also encourage friends and family to adopt a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, while only 59% of men do.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that fast fashion seems to affect women more. In fact, 53% of the surveyed men preferred buying clothes from sustainable brands against 47% of women.

Why this eco gender gap?

A green hand holding some leaves to represent the importance of ethical living and of reducing the eco gender gap

There are many reasons why men seem to be less inclined to live more ethically or take climate change seriously:

  • Childhood conditioning and unconscious bias
  • Politics
  • Strict gender roles
  • Toxic masculinity.

The fact that men care more about ethical clothing than other eco-friendly aspects of daily life suggests that most women are still in charge of running the household: that might be why they consume more eco-friendly cleaning or laundry products, as well as recycling more.

Some men also seem to resist ethical and environmentally friendly behaviours for fear of others questioning their sexual orientation or masculinity

Unfortunately, since childhood, we’re often taught to identify empathy as a feminine trait, which is why it can fuel toxic masculinity when it comes to ethical living.

Are sustainable campaigns sending a wrong message?

The fact that most sustainable campaigns seem to address women doesn’t help.

From clothes to reusable sponges and eco-friendly detergent, we believe it would be helpful to see more ads and campaigns aimed at men, too.

This could favour the repositioning of ethical and environmentally friendly lifestyles as part of a more positive modern masculinity and, overall, a unisex mission.

How can we help reduce the eco gender gap at home?

Millers unisex jacket

The first step is to have this conversation, even when it feels uncomfortable. 

Whether it’s a father or a partner, if we notice unethical behaviours, we can really make the difference by talking to them about it. For example, it could be that they buy a single-use plastic bottle every day or that they’re trapped in the fast fashion cycle of buying lots of unethical clothes only to bin them after a few wearings.

The truth? They might not even be aware that it’s detrimental for the planet, so having this conversation could really open their eyes.

Secondly, it’s important to reverse harmful gender stereotypes. We know: it’s not easy.

However, while we might not be able to change the world on our own, we can certainly start from our household. 

If there are two working professionals, why should the woman be in charge of all the chores? 

Let’s all start dividing them more equally, exploring eco-friendly alternatives together.

Making it easier for men to buy sustainable and ethical fashion

Toy Robots Navy ethical shirt for men

While we were relieved to see that so many men buy from sustainable clothing brands, we also know that it’s not always easy to find the right garments for our budget, style and ethos. 

After all, small fair trade stores are scattered all over the web, especially when it comes to menswear.

To make things easier, we’ve gathered the best ethical fashion brands for men in one place. 

Sure, the eco gender gap is still marked, but there are steps that we can all take to reduce it.

Let’s focus more on the green and less on the pink!

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Project Cece is a platform that collects ethical clothing from different webshops on one website. Take a look in our shopping section and find the clothing that fits your style, budget and values!


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Project Cece is a platform that collects ethical clothing from different webshops on one website. Take a look in our shopping section and find the clothing that fits your style, budget and values!

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