The survey says that Finns need to make significant changes to their lifestyles to ensure sustainable development, and businesses need to change their operations for the same reason. The circular economy is one of the changes underway, with almost a third of consumer businesses already selling second-hand products.
Finns need to make significant lifestyle changes to ensure sustainable development. Six out of ten Finns agree* with this statement. This is according to the Responsible Business 2023 survey commissioned by Posti from Kantar Finland Oy.
Consumers are demanding better alternatives from companies. 75%* think companies need to change how they operate to ensure sustainable development.
In turn, companies think* that customers are interested in environmentally responsible choices (81% of b2c and 75% of b2b companies).
61% of companies have either started or are in the process of making their operations more environmentally friendly. 15% of companies have identified the need to do so - but 14% of business respondents say they have no plans to do so at present.
However, 77% of consumers* think comparing different environmental claims between companies is difficult.
"The survey clearly shows that consumers are demanding change from companies, and companies are ready for it," said Anna Storm, Posti's VP, Stakeholder Relations, Director of Sustainability. "The survey shows that comparisons between companies are difficult. This is where third-party comparisons and assessments can be particularly useful."
Almost a third of consumer companies already sell second-hand products
Companies have started to create circular economy business, for example, by selling their own products second-hand in their online or in-store shops.
Of all the consumer businesses surveyed, 28% sell second-hand products themselves as part of their range. 5% offer a platform for selling second-hand products, allowing consumers to sell products to each other.
15% of businesses are interested in this type of business, although they have not yet started it themselves. Among the obstacles identified in the survey were technical challenges such as building a store site, warranties and reliability, transport and storage.
Almost a third (28%) of Finns have already bought second-hand goods from businesses, not directly from other consumers.
"Every unmanufactured product saves the environment. For example, we have started working with companies to find new ways to sell, handle, and store used products more easily and profitably," says Storm. "The second-hand fashion market, for example, is one of the fastest growing sectors in the trade today. We can significantly boost sustainable growth by working with businesses to make buying second-hand easier, more attractive, and less hassle."
The Responsible Business 2023 survey has been designed and implemented with Kantar Finland Oy. Kantar collected the survey data in May 2023 through telephone interviews with business decision-makers and an online panel with a consumer focus group. The corporate sample of the survey was sourced from Profinder. Respondents in the consumer group were 2079 Finns aged 20-79. From the business side, 301 business managers from b2c and b2b sales companies and 150 b2b purchasing managers were included.
The full survey can be read and downloaded at posti.fi/vastuisuustutkimus2023.
*Strongly or somewhat agree.
