Social Research: How People Receive Information Related to Sustainability/Circular Economy, Their Perception, and Purchase Options: A Survey Based on the Island of Lemnos

Abstract

Agro-industrial waste biotechnology refers to applications of biotechnological processes and techniques to convert agricultural/agro-industrial waste into valuable products. The food and agricultural industries generate significant amounts of waste during processing and production, including by-products from crops, fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products. By using biotechnological techniques such as fermentation, enzymatic conversion, and microbial processes, it is possible to convert these waste materials into various useful products. But how do people receive this information (and others generated from this field of science) in their daily lives? This study aims to cover this topic and provide an approach to how it ultimately relates to people’s purchasing options. A total of 120 people (37.5% men, 62.5% women) from six different parts of Greece (34.2% from Lemnos) took part in this survey. The key result of the survey was that 85.0% of respondents responded positively to their awareness of sustainability/circular economy. In addition, 64.6% of participants answered negatively when asked (whether they thought the information they received from the media and public bodies on the topic of sustainability/circular economy was sufficient for them. Some 36.7% of participants responded that they would be willing to pay 20% more to purchase a product that itself (or a component of it) is produced through biotechnological applications, and 46.7% responded that they would be happy to pay more, but that cost coverage is important.

Keywords

• agro-industrial
• biotechnology
• applications
• survey