The significance of recycled products and materials will increase in five years – this holiday season, we continue to consume as usual

The energy crisis in Europe, increasing electricity prices and possible upcoming economic recession are affecting the daily lives of consumers in Finland and elsewhere in one way or another. Consumers are concerned about the high inflation rate, increasing interest rates and the price of energy this winter.

However, the approaching holiday season doesn’t seem to be having a significant impact on consumption, at least in Finland. According to a recent survey of 1,000 Finns* commissioned by Outokumpu, up to 59% say that the upcoming Christmas will not change their consumption behavior. A total of 6% of the respondents aim to increase their consumption, and almost one third is planning to decrease consumption by buying fewer physical Christmas presents, for instance.

Interest in second-hand goods and recycled materials on the up

According to the survey, the impact of the use of recycled materials on purchase decisions will increase in the next five years. Up to 45% of the respondents say they believe that their future purchases will be somewhat or greatly impacted by the use of recycled materials in the product. The impact of this on purchase decisions is, according to the survey, almost double in women when compared to men.

The conducted survey states that up to 34% of respondents recycle almost all their most common commodities after using, such as kitchenware, clothing, books and children’s toys. In all, 8% of the respondents aim to buy almost all commodities second-hand.

In the next five years, the interest in purchasing second-hand goods and items made of recycled materials will increase, as up to 14% said they will buy recycled products in the near future.

“The planet cannot sustain the kind of consumption we’re experiencing at the moment, so it’s nice to see that many respondents identified the reduction of overconsumption as one of the most important daily sustainability acts. For example, the life of goods made of stainless steel can be decades long, which means they don’t have to be replaced at every turn – the planet doesn’t need more things but things that last. Accelerating the circular economy is vital for us at Outokumpu, so that we can reuse materials again and again to build a more sustainable environment for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren,” says Juha Erkkilä, VP, Group Sustainability, Excellence & Reliability at Outokumpu.

Consumers feel they already make an impact with their choices – decreasing consumption, country of origin and recycling identified as actions

According to the survey, 65% of consumers consider sustainability as important factor when choosing commodities. They felt that decreasing overconsumption is the most important sustainability factor, the product’s country of origin the second most important and the recyclability of the product the third most important factor. Significant but perhaps a bit more technical actions can be a bit complicated for the greater public. For example, carbon footprint, which has been talked about for years, ranked only sixth in the survey.

“Many things contribute to the carbon footprint of an individual product, which is why it might be harder for consumers to understand. In simple terms, carbon footprint refers to the climate load caused by the product – how much greenhouse gas emissions are created over the product’s entire life cycle, from manufacturing to emissions during the product’s use and after it. A good example of a product with a low carbon footprint is Outokumpu’s stainless steel Circle Green with minimized emissions. Its carbon footprint is up to 92% smaller than the industry average and the material’s production utilizes largely reused steel,” says Erkkilä.

“Our planet doesn’t need more things but instead things that last,” he explains.

*) IRO Research Oy’s Tuhat suomalaista (A thousand Finns) survey was conducted as a nationwide consumer panel during November 9–21, 2022. A total of 1,000 Finns from around Finland responded to the survey.

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