BSH survey on appliances and sustainability

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According to the latest BSH Group survey on “Household appliances and Sustainability” (conducted on a sample of 1,000 respondents in 11 European countries), Italians are among the most attentive to sustainability in Europe. Italy is first, at European level, for propensity to sustainability: 9 out of 10 Italians declare themselves willing to behave in a more sustainable way and 90% of Italians inquire about the characteristics of sustainability before and during the purchase of a large household appliance. 83% of respondents believe that it is the responsibility of brands and companies to contribute to making the lifestyle more sustainable. Furthermore, when choosing a large household appliance, duration and quality are the factors indicated as “very important” for the respondents in Italy (79%), energy and water consumption is in second place (76%), while functionality is in the third place (73%). Sustainability influences the decisions of more than three quarters of the Italians, placing Italy in the second place in Europe after Spain. The growing propensity towards sustainability means that 75% of Italians prefer sustainable products even if they have a higher cost than conventional products. This also translates into the willingness to buy a large appliance produced in a more energy or environmentally efficient way, albeit at a higher price (82%). The survey also presents interesting data on the sustainable actions: half of Italians use the ecological program of their dishwasher or washing machine for almost every wash. 47% of the Italian respondents use the eco program for almost all washing cycles of the dishwasher. The data relating to the washing machine with the eco program are also in line with those of the dishwasher: 41% use it for almost all washing cycles. Almost two thirds of Italians, or 63%, know how much water and electricity their washing machine uses. The pandemic has also affected the habits of Italians, increasing the importance of energy efficiency and water consumption for almost 1 in 2 Italians. 46% of respondents in Italy state that the energy efficiency and water consumption of the large household appliances have become more important since the start of the pandemic, once again bringing Italy to the top of the survey, compared to other European countries.
Sustainability is also an essential part of BSH’s corporate strategy: since the end of 2020, it has been producing CO2-neutral in all its locations around the world and is placing great emphasis on developing efficient and resource-friendly products. Furthermore, the BSH Group has always invested in research and development to create sustainable innovations; in 2020 these investments amounted to 5.1 percent of turnover, for a total of 798 million euros.