European consumers prefer paper products from sustainably managed forests, research reveals

EUROPE – A report by Two Sides Europe has found that two-thirds (67%) of European consumers believe it is important to use paper products from sustainably managed forests, and 37% pay attention to forestry certification labels.

Similarly, 67% of consumers believe that only recycled paper should be used to make new paper products, indicating that most don’t understand this practical impossibility.

The report also found that consumers thought paper and pulp were one of the least damaging industries impacting forests.

It found that 49% of European consumers believe that energy/wood fuel has the most impact on forests, 47% believe urban development (building houses or cities) has the most impact, 45% palm oil plantations and construction/timber, and 37% believe agriculture/farming/cattle raising has the most impact.

By comparison, 36% of European consumers believe paper and pulp were the most impactful, a decrease from 45% in 2021.

Over half of consumers surveyed (56%) believe that paper and paper packaging production uses an excessive amount of water.

In 2021, around 90% of the water used to produce paper and board in Europe was cleaned and returned to the environment, with the remainder evaporated or retained in the manufactured product.

Jonathan Tame, managing director, Two Sides Europe., said: “Whilst it’s good to see there have been some improvements in consumers’ perceptions, this report shows there remain many misconceptions surrounding print and paper-based products and their impact on the environment.”

Similarly, research conducted in 2021 by GlobeScan for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) found that consumers list climate change as their second most important global worry after disease/health issues.

Consumers’ sustainability concerns also appeared to increasingly influence their shopping choices, with more than 80 percent of shoppers saying they expect companies to ensure their wood and paper products do not contribute to deforestation.

Additionally, the survey found that 86 percent of consumers try to avoid products that damage biodiversity and about seven in ten want to choose products that do not contribute to climate change.

As such, consumers pay attention to these factors when choosing wood-based products and packaging and expect companies to ensure their products do not harm the environment.

When asked about influences on their purchases of wooden products, protecting animals and plants and sourcing from sustainably managed forests were among consumers’ biggest motivators – nearly on par with product quality; while for paper or card products, these motivators were even higher than product quality.

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