At Her Campus, understanding college women and what they care about is at the core of our content. It’s no secret that college women (and incoming college women) are smart, tapped into what’s going on in their world, and aren’t afraid to step up and make a difference where it counts.

In 2019, one of the most notable causes that young women care about is the current state of our environment, from what they wear to how they travel to how they order their coffee. What we know right now is that Millennial and Gen-Z women are kind of panicking about our planet, and now more than ever, young women are recognizing the need for sustainable options and substitutes in their lives.

Here’s how we know young women have and will continue to prioritize sustainable options in their future media and commerce choices — and how to better market to these women as a result.

1. They care about brands that are making the change.

Young women are making more conscious decisions into buying from brands that align with their core values, and brands are recognizing that.

Style and beauty companies are moving quickly into the sustainable world and creating products with sustainability in mind, from using eco-conscious ingredients to ensuring a more ethical manufacturing process. Our college women audience is interested in keeping up with news about the brands they know moving towards a more sustainable future.

The Proof: 80% of Gen Z believes that companies should help the environment. This generation of college women will actively choose to support brands and companies that hold a high priority on social responsibility, including other causes like animal rights, human rights and diversity in educational institutions. If the brand’s ethics aren’t in the right place, they won’t be a fan.

2. They are already shopping sustainably.

Whether it’s online or in-person, college women are shifting their consumer habits with regard to living a more sustainable lifestyle. Gen Z buyers are fascinated by the re-commerce industry, where recycled fashion, beauty and other products are available for resale. With the rapid growth of e-commerce in the last few years, apps and websites like Poshmark, Depop and Glambot provide young women an easy platform to sell their clothes and buy recycled items.

The Proof: Articles related to thrift shopping, the best in-person and online/app thrift shopping, and pro-tips for getting the best finds at thrift stores are amongst the top performing pieces on the Her Campus site. This shows us that college women are seeking out re-commerce and want to know the best places and ways to buy.

3. They want to make their voices heard on why they’re choosing sustainability.

Her Campus has recognized this shift towards a care for sustainability, leading us to create campaigns and content surrounding sustainable products and choices. In an effort to launch a sustainable style campaign at Her Campus, we took to Instagram, specifically our @HerCampusStyle channel. Filled with an audience of passionate style bloggers and fashion-loving chapter members, we tested the waters and asked our community to get involved with us in our next editorial and social project, being content about sustainable style that informs and inspires.

The Proof: We experienced a huge number of replies, DMs, and emails, all asking to get involved on our editorial and social channels to share their experiences and tips within sustainable fashion. This demonstrates that college women want to get involved, start the dialogue and keep the conversation on sustainability going.

In order for media companies and brands to be successful in reaching the college woman, they need to consider where sustainability can be implemented in their campaigns or products. Gen Z women are dedicated to doing what they can to make the world a better place for their generation — just look at what they’re telling the world they’re passionate about on their social bios and feeds and you’ll see that sustainability is important.

Sources used can be found here and here.

Felicity Warner is the Assistant Editor at Her Campus.