Environmental News Network - Educating Consumers About Buying Sustainably

Details: By Gina-Marie Cheeseman; 18.Apr

Sustainability is a word tossed around much these days. But do consumers really care about buying sustainably? The answer is yes. More and more consumers are interested in sustainability, as surveys show. A 2011 consumer survey by Nielsen found that 66 percent of socially-conscious consumers cited environmental sustainability as the most important issue from a list of 18 issues.

So, how do you increase awareness of buying sustainably among consumers? The key is getting information to them. A study by Michigan State University researchers, published in 2014 in the Business and Economics Journal, looked at consumer awareness of fair trade information. The researchers found that informed consumers “are better positioned to make sound decisions and take the appropriate actions to address sustainability issues.” Providing access to “complete and accurate sources of information allows consumers to draw the connection between their consumption behaviors and social, and environmental sustainability,” the researchers concluded.

Triple Pundit

Sustainability is a word tossed around much these days. But do consumers really care about buying sustainably? The answer is yes. More and more consumers are interested in sustainability, as surveys show. A 2011 consumer survey by Nielsen found that 66 percent of socially-conscious consumers cited environmental sustainability as the most important issue from a list of 18 issues.

So, how do you increase awareness of buying sustainably among consumers? The key is getting information to them. A study by Michigan State University researchers, published in 2014 in the Business and Economics Journal, looked at consumer awareness of fair trade information. The researchers found that informed consumers “are better positioned to make sound decisions and take the appropriate actions to address sustainability issues.” Providing access to “complete and accurate sources of information allows consumers to draw the connection between their consumption behaviors and social, and environmental sustainability,” the researchers concluded.

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is all about sustainable cotton and its members “are some of the largest apparel and textile companies in the world,” as Amanda Dooley, public relations officer at BCI, told TriplePundit. The nonprofit organization and its members play an important role in educating consumers about sustainably produced products.

BCI’s pioneer members are Adidas, H&M, Ikea, Nike, Levi Strauss & Co. and M&M. All have set ambitious targets for sourcing sustainable cotton and recently communicated to their customers about their achievements in meeting the targets. For example, Adidas announced that it exceeded its 2015 Better Cotton target of 40 percent as it sourced 45 percent Better Cotton last year. In the press release, Adidas explained that BCI “exists to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector’s future.”

Continue reading at ENN affiliate, Triple Pundit.

Woman shopping image via Shutterstock.

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Educating Consumers About Buying Sustainably