Close to 50 per cent of Australian shoppers now actively consider sustainability when purchasing, a new report from Monash Business School’s Australian Consumer and Retail Studies Unit (ACRS) reveals.
Led by Dr Eloise Zoppos, the findings of the latest report found that 96 per cent of Australian consumers engage in sustainable practices, and 42 per cent are willing to pay more for sustainable choices.
In an effort to better understand the attitudes and behaviours of Australians when it comes to sustainability, the ARCS research unit surveyed 1,002 shoppers across Australia in June 2024 and asked them several key questions on sustainability as part of a larger survey on retail consumer attitudes and behaviours.
The report found that the two most common ways shoppers decide if a product is sustainable or not is whether the packaging is recyclable (62 per cent) and whether the product can be recycled (59 per cent).
“When deciding if a product is sustainable, shoppers look for cues to make quick decisions and seem to focus more on the packaging or the product itself, rather than the labelling,” Dr Zoppos said.
According to the study, 30 per cent of shoppers reported they frequently or very frequently look for sustainable products when making a retail purchase, while only 12 per cent of Australian shoppers report that they never look for sustainable products.
The report also found younger consumers are significantly more willing to pay more for ethically produced products, as well as products made from recycled materials and packaged in recyclable materials.
However, Dr Zoppos said all ages engage in a range of sustainable practices, but they differ substantially in the type of practices in which they engage.
“While sustainability perceptions and practices may differ amongst shoppers, the positive shifts in the general attitudes and behaviours of shoppers demonstrate that sustainability is no longer a trend but a consumer movement – and retailers that are not just responding to this movement, but that are genuinely embedding sustainability into their business strategy, will resonate with consumers despite the current climate.”
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