The Actions That Actually Matter (And Why We Get Them Wrong)

We recycle diligently. We turn off the lights. We rinse out the yoghurt tub before it goes in the bin. And most of us walk away from these small rituals feeling like we've done our part for the climate. 

But a study out of the University of Geneva, published this year in ”Nature Sustainability*”, suggests we should feel a little less confident about that. 

WE'RE BAD AT JUDGING OUR OWN IMPACT 

Researchers asked nearly 3,000 people to rate how effective 34 different climate-friendly behaviours are. The pattern that emerged was strikingly consistent: people overestimate the impact of small, visible, habitual actions – recycling, buying "eco" products, switching off appliances. What’s more, they underestimate the actions that really move the needle: flying less, driving less, choosing an EV, eating more plant-based meals. 

The researchers point to two reasons for this gap. First, we rate an action as more effective simply because it's familiar – something we learned in school or see referenced constantly in the media. Second, and more tellingly, we rate the actions we “already do” as more effective than they are. It's a quiet form of self-justification: if the light-switch habit is "working," we don't have to reckon with the flight we booked last month. 

Interestingly, the study found that environmentally engaged people are just as prone to this bias – sometimes more so. Individuals with strong pro-environmental values tend to be overly optimistic and to overestimate the impact of environmental actions in general. By contrast, those with a stronger capacity to handle numbers tend to provide more accurate estimates and are less influenced by these biases.

WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT IT 

At Odlo, we are placing great importance on the durability of our garments because we know the longer they last, the better they are for the environment. It's part of why our approach leads with “durability and performance”, not just material claims: 

• Repair, not replace. Our repair service is available across all our stores, so a broken zipper or a worn seam doesn't mean a trip to the bin. 

• Resale. Through our take-back and resale model, garments that no longer fit your life get a second one instead of ending up in landfill. 

• Certified inputs, where they count. We hold Fair Wear leader status and use Bluesign- and RWS-certified materials – not as the headline, but as the baseline everything else is built on. 

This isn’t about belittling the actions of those that make the effort to recycle or turn the lights off. These are still highly relevant ways we can all contribute. It's about being honest – as a brand, industry and society as a whole – about where the real leverage sits. If we only ever talk about fibre content, we're reinforcing the exact bias this study identifies: letting people (and ourselves) feel like the job is done when the highest-impact choice (buy less, choose well, make it last) gets forgotten about.  

THE TAKEAWAY 

The most useful thing an apparel brand like Odlo can do isn't necessarily to add another certification to the list. Sometimes it's to say the less comfortable thing out loud: the small, familiar actions we're proud of are not the ones that are going to move the dial. Real progress means being honest about that gap, and building products and processes that will facilitate real change.  

*Sources: M. Herberz et al., University of Geneva, published in Nature Sustainability, 2026; reporting by Joachim Laukenmann.* 

Link to the article about the study: Why We Overestimate the Positive Impact of Our Actions on the Climate - Medias - UNIGE