Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / A global increase in environmental awareness and concern about issues such as climate change, resource depletion and higher levels of pollution are having a greater influence on the purchasing decisions and product selection of consumers. In a response to this trend and growing demand for eco-friendly products, manufacturers introduced goods suggested to have a less harmful impact on the environment. A growing number of environmental logos and unsupported claims caused consumer scepticism and created a need for certified environmental logos, which led to the introduction of eco-labels.
To date, South Africa does not have a certified eco-label in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) non-food category. The application of eco-labels on products would allow South African consumers to identify eco-friendly options and incentivise producers to develop goods that are less harmful to the environment. In order to establish the requirements for a successful eco-labelling scheme, a literature review was conducted. Based on the findings, a consumer survey was carried out to determine whether there is a demand for eco-labelled goods in South Africa and whether an eco-labelling project will have a significant effect on consumer behaviour in the FMCG non-food category.
Statistical analysis of the data revealed that consumers are concerned about the environment and that they will support eco-friendly goods, if the quality and performance are as good as regular products. The survey, however, revealed that consumers are of the opinion that eco-friendly products are not as effective as regular products. The analysis also found that consumers are price sensitive and not willing to pay a large premium for eco-friendly attributes. These are the two main obstacles hindering South African consumers to move to more sustainable consumption patterns. In the survey, consumers also indicated a need for an independent third party to verify environmental claims, manage eco-labels and audit producers to ensure that eco-friendly goods meet acceptable sustainability and quality standards.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/85161 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Du Toit, Ben-Johann |
| Contributors | Herbst, F. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xi, 77 p. : col. ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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