A survey commissioned by zero-waste packaging retailer Hero Packaging has revealed that 79.75% or almost 4 in 5 business owners are intrinsically motivated to address sustainability concerns because it aligns with their core business goals and values.
Though 45% said their eco-consciousness was an important part of meeting consumer expectations and 55% agreed sustainability initiatives helped build trust with consumers, the vast majority of the 316 respondents engaged in environmentally protective measures because of their own attitudes and beliefs.
Hero Packaging co-founder Anaita Sarkar says: “The days of customers demanding businesses to be more environmentally responsible are fast coming to an end. These days businesses are not only self-motivated to do their part in saving the planet, they’re also innovating many of the sustainable solutions that will carry us forward.”
Close to 94% of the businesses which are based in countries like Australia, the US, Canada, New Zealand and in Europe agreed that sustainability practices are ‘very important’ and ‘somewhat important’ to their customers. Roughly half of those surveyed considered sustainability to be part of their overall culture and business strategy.
In the past 12 months these businesses have significantly improved the way they packaged their orders (65%), reduced waste from operations (52%), and sourced materials locally or through fair trade (48%). Over the next 12 months more than half (53%) of the respondents said they intended to engage in other green practices. 48% resolved to reduce operational
waste, 40% planned to source more local and fair trade materials in their supply chain and 42% sought to upgrade their packaging to be more eco-friendly.
Businesses’ concern for the environment also extended beyond their own operations to influence who they choose as their suppliers. 33% of businesses said it was ‘very important’ while 29% said it was ‘somewhat important’ that they work with sustainable partners throughout their supply chain.
“Customers have transformed the market by voting with their dollars and many businesses are responding to this by embracing more environmentally friendly practices,” says co-founder Vik.
“85% of the businesses we surveyed believe that by being more sustainable they’ll end up attracting more customers in the long run. This is the positive shift in attitude we’ve been hoping for, and it makes it an incredibly exciting time to be in the business of sustainability.”
