20% of Brits Abandon Brands Over Sustainability Concerns

One in five Brits says they have stopped buying from particular brands over environmental concerns, according to a new YouGov survey.

The survey, commissioned by Hearts & Science, found that food and drink was the category in which brands were most likely to be dropped (36%), followed by household essentials 33%).

Meanwhile, a third of shoppers said they planned to spend more on more sustainable products this year, compared to the previous year.

“It’s not just that [customers] choose products and brands that have the best green credentials, they’ll actively stop buying those that don’t,” said Hearts & Science chief strategy officer, Simon Carr.

“Brands need to be smarter in how they demonstrate their concern for the environment and can no longer get away with paying lip service.”

MD Garrett O’Reilly adds, “Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, has said firms ignoring the climate crisis will go bust. It’s the progressive companies that will be able to step in to take their place.

“It’s not idealistic to be green: it makes good business sense.”