Trade: Survey: Over half of Romanians prefer to buy sustainable products frequently

   Over half of Romanians (52%) adopt a sustainable behaviour in their daily lives, and 53% frequently buy sustainable products, according to the findings of a specialist survey released on Tuesday.The Bucharest Centre for Economy & Society (CES Bucharest) research highlights the fact that topping the most sought-after sustainable products are food, mentioned by almost six out of ten respondents, followed by cosmetics and personal care items (30%), children's products (28%), electronics and household appliances (26%) and clothing and footwear (16%).The main obstacles in the purchase of sustainable products are high prices, reported by 42% of the respondents, and the lack of information, at 28%.Of those who constantly choose sustainable products, 25% buy them one-three times a month, 19% always opt for such products, and 9% buy five-ten times a month.As far as the notion of sustainability is concerned, most respondents associate the concept of recycling. In this regard, 36% of respondents indicated that sustainability means recycling and capitalising on natural resources, and 31% answered "a set of behaviours that aim to reduce the negative impact on the environment, the community or society as a whole."Also, recycling (51%), avoiding food waste (37%), using green energy (31%) and protecting biodiversity (25%) were indicated by Romanians as the main activities frequently practiced.Findings also show that 60% of Romanians believe that the private sector should be involved in protecting the environment, 26% in supporting local producers, 23% in the responsible use of resources and 21% in social responsibility projects that support communities.At the same time, regarding the way companies communicate at the moment on sustainability topics, only 16% appreciate this aspect as "good", and 24% "very good and clear."In addition, there is a clear expectation from Romanians that employers are organisations concerned about sustainability, with 32% of respondents indicating this aspect as very important and 27% as important."There is a clear discrepancy between the declared intentions and the actual consumption behaviour: while over half of Romanians (52%) say they adopt a sustainable behaviour in their daily lives, more than half show that they are discouraged from making sustainable purchases due to high prices, lack of information or limited availability of this type of products on the local market. Sustainability thus has a high degree of social desirability and a significant growth potential in Romania, but an integrated approach is needed that aims at both educating consumers and improving the supply of sustainable products at competitive prices," according to the survey.The survey was commissioned by CES Bucharest and conducted by CURS (Center for Urban and Regional Sociology), nationwide, between November 18 and 30, 2024, on a sample of 1,067 people, with a maximum margin of error of +/- 3%, at a confidence level of 95%.