Around two thirds of Greek consumers say that it is important that the food products that they buy are environmentally friendly, however just one in seven are willing to pay more for said products, a new study by IELKA has found.
The Greek institute for consumer research surveyed some 1,500 consumers for the survey, which was completed in the first quarter of 2025. The survey sought to determine attitudes to consumer and purchasing behaviour as it relates to environmental protection and food waste.
Environmental impact
As it found, consumers display a clear preference for products with a reduced environmental impact, with 57% seeking products with less plastic packaging, 64% saying that they recycle packaging where possible, and 63% seeking to reduce the environmental impact of the products they purchase.
In addition, some 65% say that it is important to them that the food products they buy are produced using environmentally-friendly practices.
Willingness to pay more
However, just 17% – one in seven – state that they would be willing to pay more for products that don’t impact the environment, while the same percentage are willing to only shop in stores that have no environmental impact.
Some 37% of respondents said that if they were presented with two identical products, one of which had no impact on the environment, they would choose the cheaper one.
In contrast, there was a greater willingness among consumers to support animal protection, with just under two fifths (39%) saying that they would pay more for products that ensure that animals are not mistreated.
‘These figures highlight both a gap between declared environmental attitudes and actual consumer behaviour, as well as the burdened financial situation of the consumer public,’ IELKA said in its report.
Food waste
The survey also collected data on food waste, and found that around three fifths (59%) of Greek households said that they discarded at least some of the food they purchase, compared to 41% that said they do not throw away food.
According to IELKA, the average food waste per household weighs in at around 40 kilograms a year, or €150 worth of food.
In percentage terms, this represents about 3.3% of total household food consumption, however, IELKA added that self-reported food waste tends to be underestimated.
When asked for the reasons why they wasted food, more than half (51%) cited poor management of leftovers, while a third (33%) admitted to buying more than necessary. Read more here.
