Pro Carton has carried out a study on the perception of packaging by European consumers: an independent analysis of the importance of the sustainability of packaging in consumers’ purchasing decisions.
It emerges from the research, that recycling is increasing: 69% of all consumers have recycled more waste in the last 12 months and three quarters of all consumers (i.e. 75%) admit that the environmental impact of a product’s packaging influences their own purchasing decision.
Another important aspect is the media profile on packaging, which has influenced the purchasing decisions of three quarters of consumers. And more than half of the consumers involved recognise that cardboard is the most ecological and recyclable form of packaging.
However, it emerges from the responses, that 64% of consumers think that brands and retailers are not doing enough to introduce more environmentally friendly forms of packaging, and 91% would choose to make purchases in a supermarket or retailer which actively encourages its suppliers to adopt more environmentally friendly forms of packaging.
And it is not a question of price, because 77% of consumers would be prepared to pay extra for more ecological packaging. In fact, more than half of all consumers have changed brand because of the packaging used, indicating that the use of non-recyclable or unnecessary packaging is the main reason for the change.