Shoppers Want Sustainable Features on Products, And in Packaging, Too

Pitney Bowes Inc.’s latest consumer survey showed 38 percent of respondents were more likely to purchase products if there were “sustainable features or packaging,” while 28 percent of those polled said they were “more inclined to buy products based on environmentally friendly features such as sustainable materials, sustainable packaging, or a portion of proceeds going to environmental causes.”

The company’s poll revealed that 10 percent of the consumers more likely to purchase products with sustainable features or packaging are “actively looking” for these types of products.

Gregg Zegras, executive vice president and president of global e-commerce at Pitney Bowes, said that a growing number of consumers “are demanding more environmentally friendly choices from retailers. This is clear not only in our latest BOXpoll survey results, but with brands also moving quickly to show progress on sustainable manufacturing and distribution.”

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Zegras went on to say that e-commerce “represents greater choice for consumers” and as more shopping takes place online, “consumers are wielding this power to support brands that care about sustainability.”

Pitney Bowes said in a statement that various demographics, “including younger consumers (Gen Z and Millennials), affluent consumers with a household income of $100,000 [and higher], as well as parents and those living in urban environments” claim to be the most sustainable shoppers. The report said 47 to 48 percent of each of these groups “are deemed sustainability-minded shoppers.”

Despite that number, Pitney Bowes said 59 percent of all consumers don’t consider sustainability as part of their decision-making, “either because they don’t notice sustainability features, or because sustainability has no impact on their shopping behaviors.” And that may be due to cost, the company said, adding that 67 percent of consumers surveyed “believe a box shipped with sustainable packaging costs more than one of traditional packaging, despite having the same contents.”