Majority of Canadians willing to pay more for sustainably packaged products
by Cleantech Canada Staff
74% of Canadians consider sustainability an important factor when making purchases
TORONTO — Sustainably sourced packaged material is becoming a leading factor in Canadians’ purchasing decisions, with 62% of Canadians willing to pay more for such products. This is according to pulp and paper manufacturer Asia Pulp & Paper’s third annual Attitudes Towards Sustainability report.
The report also found 74% of Canadians consider sustainability an important factor when making purchases. This trend was particularly reflected in food packaging where a majority of Canadian adults (62%) were willing to pay more for products packaged in sustainable materials, with 40% saying they would be open to paying up to 10% more.
“Canadians, especially adults between the age of 18 and 34, clearly value brands that are invested in sustainability and it is encouraging to see the demand for high-quality eco-friendly products and packaging. This is what pushes the industry to stay focused on innovation and develop new merchandise supported by fully sustainable supply chains,” said Ian Lifshitz, vice-president of Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations at Asia Pulp & Paper Canada, in a statement.
According to the report, while sustainability was found to be most important to Canadians when making purchasing decisions related to food packaging (63%), it is also important to over half of consumers when buying retail goods (56%) and office goods (53%).
“When asked who was responsible for improving sustainability, roughly half (49%) of consumers felt individuals themselves played an important role. That’s a lot of people feeling empowered to affect change without waiting for governments or brands to take the lead. This tells me, that our industry must continue to innovate and offer alternative solutions.” said Lifshitz.
The report also found 97% engaged in some form of sustainable activity such as recycling (90%), using reusable food containers or shopping bags (79%) and limiting use of single-use plastics like straws and cutlery (66%). Other sustainable activities included printing less paper (56%) and composting (48%).
The Sustainability survey was administered among a representative sample of 1,003 Canadian adults. Online interviews took place August 13-18, 2019.
