Reveal Marketing Research Study: In theory, consumers are increasingly aware of the need to save the planet’s resources, in practice, only 28% actively strive to consume as sustainably as possible
Reveal Market Resources, Study No. 142
Reveal Marketing Research, in collaboration with Kaufland Romania, UniCredit Bank, and Valorem, conducted the second edition of the annual barometer on consumer behaviors and expectations regarding sustainability, tracking how they have evolved compared to the similar survey conducted in September 2022.
Against the backdrop of the socio-economic events of the last year, Romanians’ concern for sustainability is decreasing
The results of the barometer conducted by Reveal Marketing Research show that in 2023, 36% of respondents consider sustainability an important issue for Romanians, the percentage decreasing by 27% compared to 2022. The decline in the significance of sustainability concerns can be explained by the fact that economic or social issues over the past year have captured attention, overshadowing sustainability-related matters.
Even if the level of knowledge and awareness of the importance of sustainability is currently high, with 85% of Romanians declaring that it is a topic of interest they are thinking about, they are rather passive when it comes to taking action to support the cause. Thus, 48% of Romanians declare that they are occasionally involved in sustainable activities, the most common behaviour being selective waste collection, while only 15% declare that they are actively involved in different sustainable activities, with Mature Singles standing out as the main supporters of the cause (20%).
7 out of 10 Romanians believe that investments in technological innovations will provide solutions to society’s sustainability problems and will shape a better future
Among the most significant sustainability issues mentioned by respondents are air pollution, deforestation, waste pollution, the quality of mass-produced food, and global warming. Romanians believe that coordinated efforts from companies (75%), individuals (74%), and governments (71%) are necessary to mitigate these threats and achieve significant changes.
It is important to underline that technological innovations are gaining popularity as a method that can bring about changes in sustainability issues, showing a significant increase from 63% in 2022 to 69% in 2023. Regarding the level of trust in technological innovations, it is also very high, with 72% of respondents stating that they have the potential to provide significant solutions to current sustainability problems.
Measuring the level of sustainability in different areas of activity, the IT industry is perceived by Romanians as the third most sustainable industry (25%), after the energy industry (34%) and the food and drink industry (27%).
In theory consumers are increasingly aware of the need to save the planet’s resources, in practice 28% of Romanians try to consume as sustainably as possible
In general, Romanians show a low willingness to consume sustainably, with more than half of Romanians (57%) stating that they occasionally think about sustainability but have not yet considered consuming sustainably. On the other hand, for 28% of Romanians, sustainable behavior is a constant concern, as they actively try to consume as sustainably as possible, especially women (35% vs. 20% men), Senior Retirees (43%), and Modern Families (37%).”
Turning our attention to the most important characteristics in choosing a product, we see that the main factors influencing purchasing decisions are affordability (84%), attention to natural ingredients (81%), responsible manufacturing (74%), environmentally friendly production (73%) and proximity (73%). As a general trend, all characteristics increased in importance by at least 5% compared to the previous year.
Marius Luican, CEO of Reveal Marketing Research
“At present, we are witnessing a phenomenon of passive involvement when it comes to sustainability among Romanians. It is undeniable that the awareness of the need to protect the planet’s resources is increasing. Consumers support sustainability but are not actively involved enough, and consequently, they do not change their behavior in daily life.
This discrepancy can be explained by recent socio-economic events, such as economic instability or job-related concerns, which lead Romanians to focus their attention on immediate needs, at the expense of longer-term concerns such as sustainability.”
Romanians desire more involvement from companies in sustainable initiatives, especially through the promotion of recycling
Regarding the actions of companies that have the greatest potential to encourage more responsible consumer behavior, citizens highlight the promotion of recycling (19%), educating the population through sustainability promotion (11%), and the use of eco-friendly packaging/materials (10%).
The importance placed on recycling is high among Romanians, with 63% believing that recycling all recyclable materials is the most urgent sustainability issue that needs to be addressed in the next 5 years.
Moreover, 57% of Romanians believe that within 5 years companies should be taxed according to their carbon footprint so that they become more active in trying to reduce pollution.
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About Reveal Marketing Research
Reveal Marketing Research is a full-service market research company, specialized in market research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. With expertise in over 20 industries, Reveal Marketing Research believes that market research is the basis for the right decisions and brand positioning. Qualitative and quantitative solutions have been helping companies in Romania and other European countries for 15 years.
Reveal Market Resources, Study No. 142: Reveal Market Resources is a data hub of free studies offered to audiences, with the aim of supporting the marketing and communication market in Romania.
Methodology: The Reveal Marketing Research study was conducted online during 17-25.10.2023 on a representative sample for the universe of people aged 18+ in Romania, internet users. The sample size was 1013 respondents, and the maximum sampling error is +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence level.