How many employers choose sustainable products on the work floor?
This opinion poll carried out by ProFacts for the Trade for Development Centre shows that employers are less willing to buy fair or sustainable products than individual consumers: 33% of employers purchase sustainable products compared to 54% of consumers (1).
The geographic difference is significant: in Flanders 34% purchases fair or sustainable products compared to 26% in Wallonia. Brussels does best with 43%.
Price and quality are the main purchasing criteria. When employers purchase sustainable products this is usually because it is easy: 62% is satisfied with the products that they purchase or report that their regular supplier does not offer sustainable products (55%). Employers who do choose sustainable products do so for ideological environmental or strategic reasons. Many of them point out that they selected regional suppliers.
The top 3 of most purchased products on the work floor with a sustainability label consists of paper (16%), sugar (10%) and soap (9%), however there is still some confusion concerning fair trade and sustainable trade labels, organisations and brands.
The good news is that 45% of employers who do not yet buy sustainable products are open to the idea of doing so in future.
To read the press release, click below. For the full results, click on the pdf (in French).
