The willingness of many consumers to spend a little more money on sustainable packaging has increased, despite economic pressures. According to a new packaging study by the global management consultancy Simon-Kucher, 60 per cent of consumers would accept slightly higher prices for sustainable packaging. However, this willingness is greater among younger customers than among older ones. Whilst the vast majority of under-25s – 83 per cent – are prepared to pay more, this applies to only around one in two of those aged 54 and over.
Almost one in two consumers recognise sustainable packaging primarily by the fact that it uses as little material as possible. According to the study, clear recycling instructions are also a key identifying feature. Official eco-labels, by contrast, play a lesser role.
The key characteristics of sustainable packaging include:
- Reduced material usage: Using smaller amounts of plastic, glass, paper, etc., without compromising packaging performance.
- Use of recycled materials: For example, incorporating PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) content into bottles or tubes.
- Recyclability: Designing packaging so that it can be processed through existing recycling systems after use.
- Reusability: For instance, containers designed for refilling.
- Renewable materials: Utilizing materials from renewable sources, such as paper and certain bio-based materials.
- Reduced carbon emissions and energy consumption: During both material production and transportation.
- Transport-optimized design: Reducing packaging weight and volume can lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.
- Waste reduction: Packaging must protect the product from damage and spoilage, as preventing product waste is sometimes more important than the packaging itself.
