Attest publishes sustainability trends report for 2022

The Attest Sustainability Trends Report for 2022 has been released. Attest questioned 2,000 working-age Americans about the relevance of sustainability in brands in a survey. According to the study, nine out of ten Americans believe climate change is occurring. When it comes to the source of climate change, though, they have opposing viewpoints.

About 50% say it is caused by a combination of human activity and natural factors, 28% blame humans alone, and 16% believe it is caused solely by natural reasons.

Natural events have caused 52% of Americans to admit that their viewpoint has shifted in the last year. One out of every 10 responders stated their opinion had changed.

Some were quoted as saying that “It’s much more evident that this is a significant problem,” other people were quoted as saying, adding “it’s become a more serious situation for me.” Because of their growing concern about climate change, 27% want to reduce their meat consumption.

According to the survey, Americans respond well to firms that promote their environmental credentials, with 42% stating they were grateful, 25% saying it strengthened their commitment to the company, and 16% feeling more secure in their purchase.

Eight out of ten Americans believe it is crucial for a corporation to act in an ecologically responsible manner, with more than half saying it is very important to them. Sixty-two percent stated they would not buy from a company that exaggerated its environmental efforts.

However, 11% of respondents said that firms touting sustainability measures make them skeptical, 9% said they feel sold to, and 19% said they are unconcerned. In comparison to 62% in 2019, 70% are concerned about the harmful impact of disposable products. In addition, 72% have made an effort to limit their consumption of single-use plastic.

Attest also polled 500 UK consumers about the most critical aspects that influence their purchasing decisions. Sustainability was deemed very important by 42 percent of respondents, and ‘somewhat significant’ by 38 percent.

Sustainability, on the other hand, ranks lower when compared to price and quality. Value for money was mentioned by 73 percent of respondents, and product quality was mentioned by 64 percent. 23 percent said they purchase at a retailer all of the time because of its sustainable practices, but 33 percent said they would shop sustainability all of the time if there were more options available.

The lack of variety is cited as a major reason why consumers are not purchasing more sustainably – 35% said they don’t buy sustainable products because there isn’t enough to pick from. There aren’t any products available at their local store, according to 34% of respondents.

Only 8% of respondents said they didn’t want to buy sustainable products, while 40% said the products are frequently too pricey. As a result, traditional priorities like convenience and money must be balanced with sustainability. Easy access to the retailer was also a major consideration for 54% of the respondents.

80 percent of those polled believe it is critical for brands to offer money-saving bargains on sustainable items, 74% believe shops should offer a wider selection of options, and 60% believe brands should promote their green messages in-store.

Sustainable enterprises like Hirestreet, a UK rental marketplace, are gaining traction.

Emily Wade, Hirestreet’s head of partnerships, said that according to several surveys, rental and resale are expected to boost their market share significantly. As a result, they expect rental to become very much ‘the norm’ for many consumers, particularly for goods in the occasionwear, outerwear, and babywear categories. They also expect to see a transition away from third-party rental platforms and toward many of the world’s largest merchants directly renting to consumers.

Customers in both the UK and the US show a high level of interest in sustainable measures, with consumers willing to support retailers who implement more green initiatives.