Are Americans ready to repurpose? Insights into consumers’ retail take-back participation
Target recently announced its first official denim take-back event, aiming to collect unwanted jeans and repurpose them sustainably. Are American consumers onboard with such programs?
According to a YouGov survey conducted among US adults, approximately 18% of consumers have participated in take-back schemes. Younger demographics show a higher propensity to engage, with 30% of 18-34-year-olds saying they have participated in take-back schemes.
Consumer perceptions of take-back schemes
The survey delves into the perceived benefits and obstacles associated with take-back schemes.
The most common benefit respondents associate with take-back schemes is reducing waste (46%) and helping the environment (40%). Additionally, a significant portion of consumers (27%) value the potential for discounts or rewards, while convenience factors like drop-off or home pickup are also appreciated (23%).
Adults aged 35-54 are the most likely to view take-back schemes as a way to reduce waste, with 51% holding this view, compared to 43% of those aged 55 and above. While 46% of 18-34-year-olds are interested in the potential benefit of reducing waste, discounts or rewards (36%) are also high on their list.
Despite the positive perceptions, several factors can deter consumers from participating in take-back schemes. Lack of awareness (37%), inconvenience of returning items (35%), and limited options for return locations (35%) are among the most cited barriers.
Additionally, concerns about the perceived lack of environmental impact (11%), trust in the brand's commitment to sustainability (17%) and difficulty understanding the program's processes (23%) play a role.
Consumer support for brands offering take-back schemes
Despite these barriers, many consumers express a willingness to support brands that offer take-back schemes. According to the survey, 16% of respondents are very likely to support such brands, while 34% are somewhat likely to do so. However, there's still a significant portion of consumers who remain unsure, with 31% indicating they don't know whether they would support a brand based on its take-back initiatives.
Desired improvements in take-back schemes
To enhance participation, consumers have identified several areas where they would like to see improvements in take-back schemes. Increased convenience tops the list, with 34% of respondents asking for more accessible return locations.
Better incentives or rewards (31%), increased awareness of the schemes (31%) and clearer information (32%) about how the schemes work are also important, each mentioned by roughly three in ten respondents.
Other suggested improvements include more frequent or larger-scale take-back events (18%) and enhanced transparency regarding the environmental impact (20%).
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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on August 23-26, 2024, with a nationally representative sample of 1,249 adults in US (aged 18+ years), using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, social grade and region to be representative of all adults. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.
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