A recent study on consumer behaviour has revealed concerns around the sustainability of home products and materials.
Using a data pool of more than 2,000 consumers, participants in the study were asked their thoughts on sustainable home products, as well as the brands that sell them. Among their top concerns were themes such as cost, greenwashing, and confusing jargon.
More than half said they would like to buy sustainable products and materials, but believe they are more expensive. Additionally, around half stated that they were worried that brands’ claims about their sustainability credentials might be misleading or inaccurate.
More than a quarter (27%) also reported not knowing where to check to verify the sustainability claims of home products, with just under a quarter saying they don’t understand the terminology that businesses use to explain a product’s sustainability credentials.
More positively, almost two-thirds of participants said that they are likely to check an appliance’s environmental impact before making a purchase. Over half of those polled also said that they’d check the environmental impact of building materials, and a similar number said they’d do the same before buying home furnishings.
When it comes to sourcing information about a product’s environmental impact, a third of participants said they’d check a brand’s own website, a quarter would look at review sites, 22% said they’d look at social media, 19% said they’d look at the product’s packaging, and 16% would investigate news stories.
The research was commissioned by construction and home interiors PR agency, Unhooked Communications, for its report called Homes Unhooked 2023-2024. MD Claire Gamble said: “Our research shows that for nearly half of consumers (47%) buying products or materials for their home, it’s important to buy from sustainable businesses that reduce their impact on the environment.
“Our research shows shoppers will check several sources when researching the sustainability credentials of products and materials for the home. It’s therefore important for businesses in the construction and home interiors industries to have consistent messaging and proof points across multiple channels, including their website and social media, as well as third party channels, such as review sites and media outlets. Awards and accreditations can also help to build trust and credibility.”
