Is Gen Y (18-24) the most wasteful demographic?

As an expert poll taker or one who conducts psychological studies would know, the way in which a question or, in Treehugger's case, answer is phrased greatly effects the outcome of the survey. And because polls are researching perceptions rather than gathering fact driven data they are pretty much useless for anything more than entertainment...unless the information being sought is related to consumerism in which case the questions must be much less directed toward one specific answer.

Remember readers just because you think Gen Y is the most wasteful doesn't mean they are, so who cares?!

In the store I work at, I always ask people if they want a plastic bag for their products or not. Almost all young people I ask refuse a bag and carry their products out of the store. It's the older people (40 and over, and seniors are the worst) that always ask for a bag. Even if they buy one thing, they want a bag because "it would look weird to carry the product down the street". That's what I call wasteful.

I have a 19 year old that after all these years of living on a solar / wind home he continues to leave things turned on and walk out the door. I use to get soo damn mad at him. his your brother doesn't do this at all. I would say I gave up. I told him fine, Some day you will understand what I'm talking about.