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Have you ever ended a date after judging that the person didn’t care enough about the planet? If the answer is “yes”, then you are practicing “eco-dumping”. A particularly significant trend among members of Gen Z, in search of ecologically committed partners.
You may be familiar with green dating. At a time when awareness of the ecological fight is becoming stronger and stronger, this very specific love trend has emerged slowly but surely. As its name suggests, it consists of favoring meetings with people who share a common taste for nature and an active commitment to preserving the planet. The enthusiasm is such that there are about ten dating sites and apps that have been specifically targeting these “green lovers” for several years now.
But the giants of the sector are also getting involved. According to data from OkCupid, an American application that matches users according to their centers of interest, climate change has become the first theme addressed by Gen Z users. For its part, Tinder also notes an increased appetite for “ green dating” and recently added “climate change” and “veganism” filters that users can mention in their profile to indicate their interests.
In view of these data, it is not surprising that a new practice emanates: that of “eco-dumping”, which can be translated into French as “eco abandonment”. In other words, that of ending a romantic date if we judge that the person who is trying to seduce us is not committed enough on an ecological level. For example, if she swears only by fast-fashion, despises vegans, encourages greenwashing, or even makes remarks bordering on climatoscepticism (in the most extreme cases).
The term is revealed by a recent survey published by Canadian dating app Plenty of Fish, which identifies eco-dumping as one of the top love trends of 2023. According to the survey, “20% of singles have left someone one because he did not share their views on climate change and the environment. As an example, the Plenty of Fish site cites this testimony: “He only eats fast food and meat red, and don’t care if it’s bad for the planet. If he doesn’t start trying to change soon, I’m going to have to dump him.”
You have therefore been warned: if you fall for a person who clearly states in his bio that ecology is a primary center of interest, take this criterion into account and keep it in mind before immediately putting your convictions on the table… at the risk of being dismissed or never hearing from the person in question again. And if ecology is really not one of your concerns, just go your way! But if, on the contrary, you want to raise awareness of the cause, this may be the perfect opportunity to initiate yourself by listening carefully to what the person you are about to meet can tell you about the subject.