It is Earth Day this week, but research has shown most consumers in the South West cannot tell if a company is simply pretending to be more ethical

Do you really know when a brand is more ethical ?

According to research ahead of this week's Earth Day, 83 per cent of consumers polled in the South West admit that they do not know when a company is just putting on the appearance of being environmentally friendly - so called green washing.

Consumer research by online investment service, Wealthify, also found that 67% of people in the South West believe that brands commit to causes to appear 'greener' .

Over half of people in the region deem ethical products too expensive to be more ethical in daily lives.

Over all 83% of consumers in the South West have admitted to being unsure or unable to identify when a brand is 'greenwashing'*.

When South West shoppers were asked if they think brands commit to causes to appear woke or 'greener', 67% agreed with this.

While most South West consumers (38%) rely on word of mouth to justify a brand's green credentials, one in eight (13%) rely in a brand's social media narrative.

The survey was carried out by online investment service, Wealthify, a subsidiary of the Aviva group, which provides customers with the best option to invest in organisations committed to having a positive impact on society and the environment. It comes ahead of Earth Day (April 22), which aims to raise awareness of global action for the good of the planet's environment.

The survey also discovered that 75% of South West consumers believe it is important to support ethical of sustainable brands in their daily lives.

While over half (55%) of shoppers in the South West view ethical and sustainable products as too expensive to shop more ethically in their day-to-day lives, when asked if they would be willing to pay more for a product that's ethical or sustainable, 56% said they would be.

COO at Wealthify, Michelle Pearce-Burke, said: "We know that conscious consumerism is on the rise. Coronavirus has encouraged many of us to shop more locally and ethically than in pre-pandemic times.

"Our survey has established that this is the case. Most of us, especially those in the South West, believe that supporting ethical and sustainable brands in our day-to-day lives is important. What's interesting is that the majority of us are unable to identify if a brand is 'greenwashing' and many of us agree that brands commit to causes to appear 'greener'.

"This, paired with the fact that many people continue to find ethical and sustainable products too expensive to make these types of products a bigger focus of their day-to-day lives, indicates a potential need for more education around what ethical and sustainable brands stand for and the value for money people receive in spending more on a more sustainable product. More visibility of ethical products on our high streets could help."

Other results :

£42.63 is the average amount of money those in the South West spend on ethical brands each month, with the most spent-on food & drink brands (49%), energy providers (16%), beauty products (14%), fashion brands (5%) and sustainable living (i.e., furniture, household items etc. (5%).

Those in Northern Ireland spend the most (£53.52) and those in Yorkshire and the Humber the least (£37.54)

Wealthify will also be planting one tree for every new Ethical investment Plan opened during Earth Day week. You can find out more about those by clicking HERE : the Wealthify site