One in three Spanish shoppers say that they have changed their purchasing habits due to climate change, a new report from retailer Aldi has found.
According to the sixth edition of the Aldi Fresh Produce Observatory in Spain, which delves into the trends and consumption habits of Spanish shoppers, more than half (55%) of shoppers pay attention to the packaging that fresh produce is presented in, with 64% valuing sustainable packaging highly.
Reduced plastic packaging
In addition, 28% of Spanish shoppers appreciate efforts to reduce plastic packaging in supermarkets, three percentage points higher than last year, while just under a fifth (19%) value efforts by supermarkets to source products from sustainable farming, or implementing sustainability measures throughout the supply chain (19%).
However, most Spanish shoppers (71%) believe that stores should implement more measures to reduce plastic use. The percentage calling for more plastic reduction measures is three percentage points higher than two years ago.
Other findings from the study include that more than half of Spanish shoppers prioritise purchasing seasonal products (56%) and choose bulk products or those with less plastic packaging (51%).
Other shoppers opt to prioritise local fresh produce (47%) or buy products from sustainable and/or organic farming (24%). To avoid plastic use, 62% of consumers prefer to buy fresh products in bulk.
Changing shopping habits
Looking ahead to how their shopping habits may change in the future, more than three quarters (76%) believe they will have to change their shopping habits as a result of the effects of changing of the climate on food production.
This is more than believe that their shopping habits will change due to increased prices (70%) or product shortages (63%).
Elsewhere, some 73% of shoppers believe that food loss and waste is a ‘real problem’, and to tackle this, the measure most valued by consumers is applying a 30% discount on items with an upcoming expiration date (44%), followed by donations to social organisations (23%).
Announcing the report, Aldi added that it has saved nearly 1,650 tonnes of virgin plastic in the last two years, and aims to make all its own-brand packaging recyclable, reusable and/or compostable by 2025. Read the full study here.
