Nearly three-fourths (74%) of Spanish consumers consider environmental sustainability while making a purchasing decision, according to the latest AECOC (Association of Larger Consumer Companies) Shopperview report.
Cinta Bosch, sustainability manager at AECOC, added that 50% of Spanish people have stopped buying products from brands that they consider unsustainable and have changed shops to continue buying cheaper, sustainable products.
"Even at a time like the present, when the price factor is a determining factor in the purchasing decision, consumers are demanding healthy, convenient and sustainable products," Bosch explained.
The findings were discussed at the ninth #DecirHaciendo meeting on circular economy in Valencia organised by Spanish cooperative retailer Consum.
Other Findings
The report also showed that eight out of every ten distribution companies in Spain use recyclable or reusable plastic in their products or processes, and 34% of them plan to increase their use.
Furthermore, 95% of them have implemented measures to separate or recover waste.
The study also found that intermediary packaging waste managers, offering sustainable solutions for manufacturing new recycled and recyclable packaging, contributed to make circular economy possible.
According to Elías Amor, head of Consum's sustainability division, circular economy is another "major pillar"of environmental management for the company.
"It works on two levels: eco-efficiency in the consumption of materials and the selective collection and recovery of waste," Amor added.
The co-operative reduced around 880 kilograms of plastic from its operations per year by implementing measures to make food shopping more eco-friendly.
These include the introduction of the 70% recycled plastic bag; compostable bags in the fresh produce sections; and rationalising the use of plastic in shops and replacing it with recycled plastic.
