Young consumers place heavy emphasis on attention to sustainability
The Packer's 2022 Fresh Trends report finds that 46% of shoppers say they seek out companies that are "environmentally aware."
Higher-income consumers (more than $100K income per year) were most likely to look for companies that are "environmentally aware." Fifty-eight percent of consumers making more than $100,000 said they look for "environmentally aware" companies, compared with 39% of consumers making less than $25,000 per year.
Read the entire 2022 Fresh Trends digital edition here.
There also is a big disparity in how younger consumers look at the issue compared with older consumers.
Sixty-three percent of 18- to 29-year-old consumers said they look for “environmentally aware” companies, compared with just 28% of consumers older than 60 with that perspective.
When asked to rate what practices are "most important" in promoting sustainability, Fresh Trends respondents rated biodegradable packaging as the highest-ranked factor among options listed, at 34%.
Related to the importance of biodegradable packaging, the biggest difference in attitudes is found in the age of consumers.
For consumers aged 18 to 29 years old, 43% said that biodegradable packaging was the most important practice in promoting sustainability. That compares with just 25% of consumers older than 60 who have that view.
Other Fresh Trends survey results for factors considered "most important" in promoting sustainability were:
- No packaging: 19%
- Biodegradable labels on packs: 6%
- Water conservation: 18%; and
- Organic growing practices: 23%.
