Why Veganism Is the Best Bandwagon Trend Of 2019

So, if you haven’t heard, our earth is dying.

It’s not just icebergs in Antarctica melting thousands of miles away from you, it’s more like having the UN tell us we have 12 years left to limit climate change before catastrophe ensues.

One of the many things I love about millennial culture is that there is no shortage of bandwagons to jump aboard on. Timothee Chalamet as Twitter’s “white boy of the month”: sure. Lip injections? Why not. Adopting sustainable living methods and reducing the levels of meat and dairy consumption in your household and moving towards an eco-friendlier environment? You bet.

We, as a people driven by topical dietary words and celebrity encouragement, have decided to dismantle the idea that veganism is a group of hippies gathered in a circle munching on lettuce and lacklustre lentils.

Gwyneth Paltrow. Photo Credit: Lisa Marie Corso

While much of the buzz may come from promotion from the likes of influential individuals such as Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, and Gwyneth Paltrow; statistics show that Australia has an increasing number of vegans and vegetarians since 2016.

Figures from Roy Morgan Research suggest 2.1 million Australians aged 18 and over consume a meat-free diet, with Melbourne and Sydney leading the states statistically.

Accessibility to vegan food is also growing, with many restaurants and café’s offering vegan and vegetarian options to their customers. Some café’s even advertise discounted coffee for customers that bring their own reusable cup.

It’s hardly surprising that fast food chains and supermarkets chose to jump on the bandwagon as demand grew among Australians. Brands and chains such as Cornetto and Hungry Jacks have been quick to adopt vegan alternative meals and snacks during late 2018-early 2019. Marketing is their greatest friend, I suppose.

It’s not only food consumption that plays into living a vegan lifestyle. Ethical shopping has also made its way into the lives of Australians.

Thrift shopping for an oh-so-unique and vintage wardrobe found popularity in 2018, with an added resurgence of op-shop and marketplace love.

Photo Credit: Glebe Markets, Samantha Aishia

There are many social, environmental, financial and ethical impact of thrift and op-shopping that many Australian’s have taken to. While I see the appeal of Fashion Nova, I don’t see the appeal in fuelling a system that preys on poorly paid workers and Mother Nature just for the need to look like a Kardashian.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates 500,000 tonnes of leather and textiles are thrown out every year. What’s more, Australia is the second largest consumer of new textiles after the US, as we send 85% of the textiles we buy to landfill every year.

If you’re not shuddering at those figures yet, just picture putting on your new favourite shirt for a day then throwing it out and buying another the next day.

It does help that younger demographics are exposed to Instagram and YouTube influencers that chose to share their thrift shopping experiences, as well as selling their pre-loved goodies.

The divide between vegans that chose their lifestyle for ethical reasons, those that chose it for weight-loss reasons, and those that simply adopted it because their favourite influencer followed a vegan diet really doesn’t matter here.

What does matter is the impact that sustainable living and veganism has on the environment if every person were to adopt these methods. I’m not saying you should give up all your clothing and restrict yourself to a diet of broccoli and carrots.

Yet, we can’t deny the immense change that would take place if everyone chose to cut down their consumption of meat, dairy, and fast fashion trends. Look at the change that 2.1 million Australian’s have already made. Not too long ago the idea of driving down to your local Woolies for some meat and dairy-free groceries seemed impossible.

If you ask me, veganism is quite possibly the best bandwagon trend millennials and others alike have jumped aboard. Now let’s keep up that same effort to, you know; save our planet and all.

Big or small; what steps have you taken to play your part in helping our environment? Let us know in the comments.