Why and how do sustainable consumers choose eco-products? - survey

The survey investigated the main reasons and the environmental literacy of the respondents. The objective was to have a representative sample in order to gain a deeper understanding of sustainable consumption in the area of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The survey aimed to: ▪ identify the selection criteria for eco-products according to responsible consumers. ▪ determine the level of awareness of the Eco-buyers. ▪ create a portrait of Russian eco-friendly buyer. Research and analysis for Healthy and Sustainable Production Systems. This survey will form the basis for more educational work and help: the experts in the areas of sustainable development, popularise the eco-products among producers and retailers, environmental awareness among consumers. The main reason to buy eco-friendly products for responsible consumer is: preservation of the environment (65.4%) the health benefits (62.4%), the ethical aspects of the production process (49.8%). For 78.6% of respondents the distinctive feature of eco-friendly products is the official ecolabel but the amount of respondents well informed about ecolabels is 23,4%. The fact shows the necessity of accessible information to eco-consumers since there is a general understanding that eco-products should have the appropriate sign, but, as it seems, there is not so much clarity on this matter. The internationally recognized Russian ecolabel type I Vitality Leaf is the prime ecolabel that inspires trust among the Russian eco-consumers (44.3%). A good level of recognition is also given to EU Ecolabel (36.3%), BDIH (36.55%), EU Organic (35.3%) and ICEA (31.7%), which are among the most recognised ones. A consistent number of respondents rely on FSC labeling (36.9%), which indicates the use of raw materials from sources with sustainable forest management. The Russian respondents, in addition to ecolabeling, take into consideration the information of product's composition (35.8%) - preference is given to shorter ones; and a significant percentage relys on their own intuition when it comes to truly eco-friendly products (25.1%). Many respondents (90.0%) not only buy eco-friendly products, but also have other "green" habits. For example, they take less packages and have reusable bags (78.6%), save resources (67.5%), collect and disposal of hazardous waste (67.4%). Environmental Barriers One of the main obstacle for environmental consumption is a high price for eco-friendly products. For 65.6% of respondents, price is the major impediment to sustainable consumption compared to ordinary one. Despite this, the vast majority of respondents (94.5%) are willing to pay more for eco-products. Some buyers (38.5%) even agree to pay up to 30% more. Another obstacle is represented by difficulty in finding eco-products. A huge amount of respondents (63.9%) claim that looking for the necessary eco-friendly goods is time consuming. Almost half of the respondents (45.2%) consider the abundant of pseudo-environmentally friendly products as an obstacle.