There’s a reason why tension over climate change, plastic use and other environmental concerns have swelled, the Hartman Group says in a new report. These crises are no longer distant concepts — they’re urgent problems, and consumers want solutions.

Most Americans are “low-income” consumers these days — including people we used to think of as “middle-class.” And you can blame the long-term effects of the Great Recession.

It’s no question that U.S. consumers are snacking more, and manufacturers have risen to support, and even drive, this trend. But the prevailing idea that most consumers snack "on the go" might not be totally accurate, the Hartman Group reported.