Eco-friendly packaging key to help define sustainability, consumers say

(Graphic by Brooke Park)

More than half of consumers polled about sustainability by The Packer earlier this year said that eco-friendly packaging helps them define whether a product is sustainable.

Did you miss The Packer's 2021 Sustainable Produce Summit? Not to worry, access it here or download the complete sustainability survey. Also, read The Packer's Sustainability Insights Magazine. Scroll

The survey of 550 consumers, performed in July, asked: 

“Which of the following labels/product features help you define a product as sustainable? (Select all that apply)”

  • Eco-friendly packaging: 52%;
  • Pesticide free: 36%;
  • Organic: 34%;
  • Preservative free: 33%;
  • Non-GMO: 29%;
  • Transparency: (origin, grower process): 24%;
  • Local: 21%;
  • Vegetarian: 14%; and
  • None of the above: 8%.

When consumers were asked what packaging solutions they preferred, they answered: 

  • Recyclable: 49%;
  • Biodegradable: 48%; and
  • Compostable: 2%.

When asked if consumers are willing to pay more for bio-based packaging, The Packer’s survey of all consumers found this willingness:

  • No premium: 38%;
  • 5% to 10% more: 31%;
  • 11% to 15% more: 19%;
  • 16% to 20% more: 9%; and 
  • Don’t know: 3%.

Consumers who indicate that sustainability is a top priority were more willing to pay a premium for bio-based packaging, with the results indicating:

  • No premium: 16%;
  • 5% to 10% more: 35%;
  • 11% to 15% more: 24%;
  • 16% to 20% more: 17%; and 
  • Don’t know: 7%.

Finally, more than half of consumers who don’t identify sustainability as a top priority would pay no premium at all for bio-based packaging.

  • The responses were:
  • Nothing: 53%;
  • 5% to 10 %: 27%;
  • 11% to 15% more: 16%; and
  • 16% to 20%: 4%.

 

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