WILTON, CONN.—Toluna, an ITWP company and leading consumer intelligence platform provider that delivers insights on demand, has issued a new report highlighting consumer desire to support brands that protect the environment. The report, which surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers, follows on the heels of the recent U.N. Climate Action Summit and simultaneous Global Climate Strikes, found that the importance and perception of sustainability among consumers is increasing. The research confirmed almost one in four (37 percent) of consumers are seeking out and willing to pay up to 5 percent more for environmentally friendly products and are actively changing their shopping behavior to do so.
At a time where consumer attention to the environment is heightened, and more than half of respondents of all ages declared that they are either “very” or “extremely” environmentally conscious, the Toluna 2019 Sustainability Report found that respondents expect companies to do their part to help solve the climate crisis. Fifty-one percent of respondents said that companies creating more eco-friendly processes is more important to changing consumer behavior than government or local regulations.
Thirty-four percent of respondents feel that it is very likely that concerns about environmentally friendly packaging will continue to grow over the next year and flag the next potential materials to be reconsidered by manufacturers will include foam packaging (42 percent), single-use drink containers (39 percent) and plastic rings (35 percent).
“Consumers engage with a variety of brands as part of their daily lives. They have come to expect to see their changing values reflected in the products they use, especially when it comes to the environment,” said Jay Rampuria, Executive Vice President, Global Business and Corporate Development for Toluna. “To remain competitive, consumer packaged goods companies must ensure that they not only focus on environmentally friendly products as well as larger corporate operations but also communicate those efforts to younger, more socially responsible consumers as their purchasing power increases.”
Other Key Findings from Toluna Report
For consumers ages 18 to 34, 45 percent indicated that it is extremely important to purchase goods that are produced in an environmentally friendly way. However, only 14 percent of respondents aged 55 and over indicated the same, with 45 percent of that same demographic indicating that they would pay up to 5 percent more for environmentally friendly goods.
Consumers are more likely to purchase specific items from brands that are environmentally friendly, including cleaning products (42 percent), drinks (37 percent), pre-packaged food (35 percent), cosmetics and toiletries (34 percent), clothing (31 percent), and cars (29 percent).
More than a third of respondents feel that it is very likely that concerns about environmentally friendly packaging will continue to grow over the next year.
For more information on the Toluna 2019 Sustainability Report, click here. For more information on Toluna, visit www.toluna.com.
