Most Irish people unwilling to pay higher price for more sustainable products, research finds

Irish people are increasingly aware of the damage their consumption patterns are having on the planet, but a majority are unwilling to pay a premium for more sustainable products, according to new research.

Moreover, of those who are willing to pay more around half say they would unwilling to pay over 10 per cent more for sustainably made goods.

The Pulse of the Nation study, carried out by Amárach on behalf of Penneys, suggests 57 per cent of consumers try not to buy products they do not need to help the environment, but 54 per cent say they are unwilling to pay a premium for more sustainable goods.

Affordability is the consistent deciding factor when choosing more sustainable products with 72 per cent viewing price as key when buying clothes or accessories compared with 15 per cent who make decisions based on products being more sustainable.

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The research points to a gender and generational divide with women and older people the most likely to be environmentally conscious with 71 per cent of women avoiding plastic packaging where possible compared to 60 per cent of men.

Almost three-quarters of the over-55s avoid plastic packaging, compared to 53 per cent of people in the 18-to-24 cohort.

People are also taking steps to ensure the products they buy endure with 48 per cent saying they washed clothes at a lower temperature to keep them looking good for longer and 27 per cent buying second-hand items and 28 per cent upcycling or repairing items

Despite the progress, the research found many need help deciphering how to shop more sustainably, with 59 per cent adults confident in their ability to decode clothing labels falling to 40 per cent when it came to confidence in making sense of a company’s sustainability credentials.

Amárach carried out the research through an online questionnaire given to a sample of 1,200 adults with quota controls and weighting used to ensure the final sample was representative of the national population in terms of gender, age, region and social class.

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