People’s consumption patterns have changed, especially since the pandemic era. Today’s consumers tend to follow the trend of conscious consumption, meaning that they do not only pay attention to the economic value and function of the products but also the impact of these products on the environment, health, and society.
Witnessing this tendency, Universitas Indonesia (UI) partnered with Danone-AQUA and the Student Executive Board (BEM) UI for holding an open discussion named Voice of Youth with the theme “Conscious Consumption: Let’s Start The Journey”. This occasion discussed the importance of building conscious consumption habits in supporting sustainable development goals (Sustainable Development Goals) on environmental, social, economic, and health issues. The event took place at Balai Purnomo Prawiro UI on February 24, 2023. During the event, a memorandum of understanding was also signed between Danone-AQUA and UI to strengthen efforts to preserve the environment, education, and health.
According to a poll survey by Katadata in 2022, it was revealed among two young age groups that 56.2% of respondents currently tend to choose eco-friendly products, 42.1% of respondents do not hesitate to buy products in reusable packaging, and 36.2% % of respondents will choose commercial products that care about environmental and social issues.[1]
The data is further complemented by the results of the compelling voting that was carried out before the discussion session was held. The voting results show that 95.4% of respondents have understood the meaning of conscious consumption, which is not only concerned with the economic value and function of a product but also environmental, social, and even political values. Then as many as 45% of respondents admitted that the main thing to consider in choosing a product is health benefits. This is also closely related to material or product raw materials which occupy the second position with a percentage of 20.4% as the top priority for respondents. These data show the broad understanding that the younger generation has regarding aspects that need to be aware of in their daily consumption.
Environmental economist and founder of Think Policy, Andhyta Firselly Utami (Afutami), said “Today, the trend of conscious consumerism is increasing among the public, along with the growing awareness of the impact of their consumption on the environment and health. Especially among young people, as a generation that is digitally literate and exposed to more information through social media. They are the largest population in implementing consumption awareness in everyday life, which is proven by the voting results earlier. Of course, this needs to be encouraged so that it continues to be sustainable in order to bring positive benefits in the long term.”
In line with this, Danone Indonesia’s Corporate Communication Director, Arif Mujahidin, explained, “Awareness to choose products that contribute positively to various aspects of life, from the environment to social, is an important factor for today’s society and young people in making decisions, which as well as being one of the main drivers of the trend of conscious consumption. We realize that people’s needs and lifestyles are constantly changing, and this certainly has an impact on the environment and society. Therefore, we believe that by adopting a conscious consumption lifestyle, especially starting from young people, we can have a more positive impact on various parties.”
Coinciding with the celebration of AQUA’s 50th anniversary, Danone-AQUA will always expand collaborative initiatives and efforts to fulfill the company’s commitment to producing guaranteed quality mineral water that is produced responsibly and sustainably. “We realize how all of our products have been part of the life and health of families in Indonesia for a long time. For this reason, all AQUA products on the market are produced with high-quality standards. Each product comes from selected 100% pure water sources, and its ecosystem is maintained. Our products definitely have gone through a process of control, evaluation, and guaranteed in terms of production facilities, cleanliness, and product safety as well as various other quality aspects. The majority of our business has also supported environmental sustainability with AQUA reusable gallon packaging, which has existed since 1983 and has formed a reusable culture thereby reducing the bad impact on the environment. We continue to develop a wide selection of products that are more eco-friendly, both in terms of packaging and operations,” explained Arif.
Meanwhile, Head of Public Relations and Public Information Disclosure Bureau UI Amelita Lusia said that the collaboration with AQUA is part of UI’s commitment to actively support efforts to preserve the environment and have a positive impact on society. So far, UI has started various initiatives including providing yellow buses in the campus area to reduce pollution, recycling plastic into part of the road asphalt on the Depok Campus, to managing and reducing waste in the campus environment.
“The active support from our partners such as Danone-AQUA reinforces the message conveyed in today’s discussion session, which is about how the young generation has the potential to become the front guard in ensuring the sustainability of environmental preservation efforts, social resilience, and also public health. Through this event, we hope that students will gain new insights and perspectives in addressing the spirit of sustainability.” In addition, she said, both parties also have a vision that is in line with the Indonesian government’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030, namely ensuring business processes and education carried out have positive impacts with added value for the community.
