Gen Z is often regarded as one of the generations most concerned about sustainability and the environment.
However, a recent study suggests that this image does not necessarily translate into their everyday purchasing decisions.
اضافة اعلان
When it comes to coffee, young people may support sustainable products, recyclable packaging and ethically sourced coffee, but factors such as price, taste, convenience and daily habits have a greater influence on their actual purchasing choices.
The findings show that, for many young people, coffee is no longer simply a way to get caffeine.
It has become part of their daily routine, social life and even a form of self-expression.
At the same time, there is a clear gap between the desire to consume more sustainably and what actually happens at the point of purchase.
The study refers to this as the “sustainability-convenience paradox.”
The study, titled “The Sustainability-Convenience Paradox: Ritualized Coffee Consumption Among Generation Z Consumers,” was published in Frontiers in Sustainability on July 27, 2026.
It was conducted by researcher Polona Dakič of the Faculty of Management at the University of Primorska in Koper, Slovenia.
The research used a qualitative approach to examine how members of Gen Z balance environmental beliefs with the demands of everyday life when consuming coffee, rather than simply asking whether they care about sustainability.
23 Young People and Three Different Groups
The study was conducted in Slovenia in March 2026 and involved 23 participants aged between 18 and 27.
The researcher divided them into three focus groups based on their relationship with coffee: eight heavy daily coffee drinkers, seven occasional consumers, and eight people who did not drink coffee or consumed it only minimally.
The groups were selected to compare people for whom coffee had become a regular part of daily life with those who consumed it occasionally, while also examining how non-coffee drinkers viewed coffee culture and sustainability.
Participants were recruited through university networks, social media and personal referrals.
The discussion sessions were held at the Faculty of Management at the University of Primorska in Koper.
Each session lasted between 60 and 90 minutes. The discussions were recorded with participants’ consent, transcribed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in participants’ responses rather than produce statistical results that could be generalized to all members of Gen Z.
The analysis focused on issues including price and convenience, ready-to-drink coffee, reusable cups, trust in sustainability claims, emotional attachment to coffee, productivity, daily rituals, social belonging, lifestyle and young people’s knowledge of sustainable coffee certifications.
Five major themes emerged: coffee consumption patterns, the influence of brands on purchasing, sustainability awareness, emotional attachment and symbolic consumption, and finally the sustainability-convenience paradox.
Sustainability Matters But It Is Not the Top Priority
The study found that participants had relatively strong awareness of the environmental and ethical issues associated with coffee.
They spoke positively about fair trade, ethical sourcing, recyclable packaging and environmentally responsible production.
However, these beliefs were not the primary factors determining which products they purchased.
When the discussion shifted from general attitudes to actual purchasing decisions, more immediate factors took priority, including taste, quality, price, habit and accessibility.
Even sustainable packaging, despite being viewed positively, was rarely decisive when choosing one product over another. One participant said they might give a sustainable brand a chance, “but taste will ultimately decide.”
Price made the issue even clearer.
One participant said they would not choose the sustainable product if it cost twice as much as the alternative.
Another gave a more specific example, saying they might try the sustainable option once, but the difference between a €2 drink and a €5 drink was simply too significant.
This highlights one of the study’s key conclusions: interest in sustainability does not disappear, but it becomes conditional.
A young consumer may choose the more sustainable product when its price is reasonable, its taste is good, it is readily available and it does not require a major change to their routine.
Coffee Is More Than a Drink for Gen Z
The researcher also found clear differences among the three groups.
For heavy coffee consumers, coffee was associated with productivity, emotional comfort, coping with stress, studying, work and social interaction.
Some described coffee as an automatic part of their morning and study routine, while others associated drinking it with feeling calmer and more focused during stressful periods.
Occasional consumers had a more flexible relationship with coffee.
Their choices were influenced more by social occasions, taste, appearance and the café experience than by a daily need for caffeine.
As a result, they appeared to have more room to consider sustainability when making purchasing decisions.
Non-coffee drinkers, meanwhile, expressed a more critical view of commercial café culture.
Some considered coffee to have become a form of social pressure associated with studying, working and meeting friends.
The findings suggest that this emotional and social connection helps explain why habits can be difficult to change, even among people who hold positive environmental attitudes.
Coffee can be a stimulant, a break, a morning ritual and a way of connecting with others, while also serving as a visible part of a person’s lifestyle.
When a Sustainable Cup Conflicts With a Busy Schedule
The researcher describes this contradiction as the “sustainability-convenience paradox.”
The basic idea is that consumers can believe sustainability is important while simultaneously making choices that contradict those beliefs when faced with the pressures of everyday life.
The discussions showed that speed, accessibility, price, habits and taste tended to take priority over environmental considerations, particularly when participants were late for lectures, commuting, under academic pressure or feeling exhausted.
One participant acknowledged caring about sustainability “in theory,” but said that when stressed or late for class, they simply bought the fastest option.
The contradiction was also evident in ready-to-drink coffee and single-use cups.
Participants were aware of the environmental problems associated with waste and packaging, but continued buying ready-made coffee because it was easy to carry and fit their commuting patterns and daily routines.
In this sense, the problem is not necessarily a lack of environmental awareness, but rather a conflict between what people know and what their daily lives allow them to do.
Skepticism Toward Brands’ Environmental Claims
The Gen Z participants in the study were not passive recipients of corporate sustainability messages.
Some expressed doubts about the credibility of environmental claims, believing that certain companies may use sustainability primarily as a marketing tool rather than as a genuine commitment.
The study also found that participants did not always have extensive knowledge of sustainability certifications, which may limit their influence on purchasing decisions.
Therefore, simply placing an environmental label or symbol on packaging does not automatically mean that a young consumer will choose that product, particularly if they do not understand what the certification means or trust its credibility.
At the same time, sustainability itself can become part of a consumer’s social image.
Carrying a reusable cup, visiting a local café or choosing a product with an environmentally friendly image can reflect the values a person wants to express to others.
Similarly, the design of a café, the appearance of a drink, or photographing coffee and sharing it on social media can become part of an individual’s identity and lifestyle.
Familiar Brands and Taste Come Before Packaging
The study also found that familiarity with a brand plays an important role, particularly among heavy coffee consumers.
Choosing a familiar brand reduces the need to think and compare and gives consumers an expectation of the taste and quality they will receive.
Packaging design was a secondary factor, although it could attract attention when the product was unfamiliar.
Nevertheless, practical aspects of packaging, such as preserving freshness, ease of use and clear information, were more important than appearance alone.
Even when packaging offered more sustainable features, this was generally not enough to make it the decisive purchasing factor.
What Does the Study Really Say About Gen Z?
The findings do not mean that Gen Z is unconcerned about sustainability.
On the contrary, participants demonstrated awareness of environmental issues and positive attitudes toward responsible consumption.
However, the study challenges the simplistic assumption that young people will always behave as sustainable consumers simply because they care about the environment.
Daily decisions are more complicated. Sustainability competes with price, taste, habit, lack of time, convenience, social experiences and emotional state.
According to the model proposed by the study, sustainability becomes a stronger factor when it fits naturally into an existing routine and does not impose significant financial or behavioral costs on the consumer.
This has direct implications for companies targeting younger consumers. An environmental message alone may not be enough.
If a sustainable product is significantly more expensive, harder to obtain or less convenient for everyday life, environmental values may lose out to the faster and cheaper option.
The study suggests that integrating sustainability into an easy, attractive experience that fits consumers’ lifestyles may be more effective than presenting sustainability as an ethical sacrifice consumers are expected to make.
But the Findings Cannot Be Generalized to an Entire Generation
The study has clear limitations.
It was a qualitative study involving only 23 people in Slovenia, rather than a large-scale statistical survey representing millions of Gen Z consumers.
Its design therefore focused on understanding motivations, contradictions and behaviors in depth, rather than determining how widespread these behaviors are across society.
The findings are also tied to a specific cultural and economic context.
The relationship between price, sustainability and coffee may differ in other countries or among young people with different income levels.
The study recommends future research comparing countries and different socioeconomic environments, as well as examining how these behaviors change as members of Gen Z grow older and their financial circumstances evolve.
Nevertheless, the study offers an important explanation for a clear gap in young consumers’ behavior: the issue is not necessarily that they do not believe in sustainability, but that sustainability competes every day with price, convenience and habit.
In the case of coffee, the findings show that the cup a consumer chooses reflects more than their attitude toward the environment.
It can also reflect their time, budget, taste, routine and social relationship with coffee.
