New research from baby food brand HiPP Organic has revealed that more than half (57%) of parents admit their children know more about sustainable living than they do, with three quarters (72%) being told off by their children for unsustainable practices such as using too much water and recycling incorrectly.

The research was conducted to coincide with the release of HiPP Organic’s plantable book ‘Where The Little Things Are’ one of the first books made from seeded paper allowing it to be planted in the ground once read before flowering into a nature habitat. The book aims to teach parents and children alike about eco-systems and the natural world after HiPP’s research found that parents (52%) consider their children to be ‘passionate’ about protecting the environment.

Research from HiPP Organic has revealed that over half (57%) of parents think their children have a better understanding on how to protect the environment than they do, with recycling (44%), global warming (35%) and pollution (28%) being the practises parents are least knowledgeable about.

The findings suggest that youngsters are so clued up that over half (52%) of all parents have been taught something new about the changing environment by their children, with kids becoming aware of environmental issues as young as 5 years old (12%). The research was conducted to coincide with the release of HiPP Organic’s plantable book ‘Where The Little Things Are’ – a book about nature that grows into a nature habitat.

Since lockdown, almost half of parents (47%) say they have a newfound appreciation for protecting the environment and the great outdoors, with 51% taking more of an interest in gardening. More than three quarters (82%) also said their newfound love for the outdoors has caused them to think more about their personal impact on environmental issues such as recycling and air pollution.

Despite the realisation that their children are more clued up than them, more than half (57%) of parents admitted their children knew more about sustainable living than they do, having been reprimanded by their children for unsustainable practises, including using too much water (30%), using too much plastic (32%) and recycling incorrectly (30%).

Further discoveries:

85% of parents admit leading figures such as David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg have taught them a great amount about sustainability and environmental practises
Over half of all parents (52%) described their kids as being ‘passionate’ about protecting the environment

‘Where The Little Things Are’ is a book about nature that grows into a nature habitat. The book, aimed at 0 – 3 year olds, tells the story of three creatures – a worm, a bee and a hedgehog – and the role they play in helping the environment on HiPP’s organic farms. In addition to reading the three stories, parents and kids can gently tear off the seeded paper cover and plant it in the garden. The seeds within the paper have been specially chosen to grow into plants that help to sustain wildlife featured in the book - a great way to learn about the eco-system!

Stefan HiPP, CEO and one of the fourth-generation family owners of HiPP Organic, said: “We’re delighted to see such a keen interest from children to learn how to protect the environment, and we hope that their ‘pester power’ will encourage parents to follow suit.

“We hope the book will encourage both adults and children to do what they can to protect the environment and preserve the nature around them. The special seeded paper allows families to discover and learn from nature first-hand and enables all family members to come together to discover more about nature in a fun and unique way.”

The book, ‘Where The Little Things Are’, follows the tales of Izzy Bee (bumble bee), Spikey Mikey (hedgehog) and Wiggly Wendy (earth worm) – and the roles they play in helping the produce, that is vital to HiPP’s organic baby food, grow.