Consumers Ready To Kiss Convenience Packaging Goodbye

March 17, 2008

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More than half of U.S. consumers would give up all forms of packaging provided for convenience purposes if it would benefit the environment, including: packaging designed for easy stacking/storing at home (58 percent); packaging that can be used for cooking, or doubling as a re-sealable container (55 percent); and packaging designed for easy transport (53 percent). U.S. consumers are slightly more likely to give up packaging for convenience purposes than the average global consumer, according to research from Nielsen.

At the other end of the scale, Nielsen finds that U.S. consumers are least willing to give up packaging designed to keep products clean and untouched by other shoppers (26 percent); packaging designed to keep products in good condition (31 percent); packaging that preserves products to make them last longer and stay fresher (31 percent); and packaging information, including food labeling, cooking and usage instructions (33 percent). One in ten U.S. consumers is not prepared to give up any aspect of packaging for the benefit of the environment.

“As global concern and awareness for the environment continues to grow, consumers worldwide are demanding more action from retailers and consumer packaged goods manufacturers to protect the environment,” said Shuchi Sethi, vice president, Nielsen Customized Research. “While eco-friendly packaging might not be the top priority for shoppers today, it’s certainly a growing priority the food industry cannot ignore.”

Nielsen’s research uncovers some differences regarding attitudes toward packaging between different regions of the world. Generally, Europeans and North Americans agree on types of packaging they are willing to forego to help the environment with nearly 60 percent willing to give up packaging designed for stacking and storing at home. By comparison, only 42 percent of Asians would be willing to give up these types of convenience packaging, likely because Asian homes tend to be smaller and have limited storage space so “stack and store” options are more practical and preferable.

Environmentally-aware New Zealanders top global rankings as the nation most prepared to give up all packaging aspects for the sake of the environment. This may be due to high levels of ‘eco-consciousness’, including in-store reminders and recyclable bag merchandising by supermarkets.

“In more eco-aware markets, including the U.S., there is an increasing expectation of packaging with minimal environmental impact, although for most consumers, this doesn’t necessarily translate into a willingness to pay more,” said Sethi. “What most consumers expect is packaging that provides an added ‘feel eco-good factor’ by minimizing environmental impacts.”

According to Nielsen’s PanelViews study of 65,000 U.S. households:

More than half of U.S. consumers claim to recycle cans, bottles and/or newspapers all the time, with 20 percent doing so “most of the time.”
Roughly 40 percent of consumers will sometimes think to look for products with less packaging.
Nearly 80 percent of consumers make a point of combining shopping trips to save gas most, if not all of the time.
Sixty percent of consumers buy used or refurbished products to reduce waste and materials consumption at least some of the time.
Nearly 60 percent make an effort to buy fruits and vegetables at a local farmers’ market.
Approximately two-thirds turn down their thermostats to conserve fuel most or all of the time.

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Reader Comments

This highlights the challenge that many companies, even those who genuinely want to make changes for the “greener”, face: that their ability to make meaningful changes is limited by consumers’ willingness to accept those changes. I recently heard a presentation about the carbon footprint of pet food from the manufacturer’s perspective. It concluded that the vast majority of the environmental impact comes from the ingredients (agriculture) and consumption (purchase, use, and disposal), and without consumer willingness to accept changes in these areas there is little that the company can do to lower the overall impact of the product’s lifecycle. This rule extends far beyond pet foods of course. A follow on conclusion, supported by Nielsen’s findings, is that far more market research needs to be done by companies to understand exactly what changes – whether they be in packaging, ingredients, or otherwise – will be acceptable and even successful in the marketplace.
Kent Ragen
Founder & CEO
http://www.ecounit.com

Kent Ragen | March 18th, 2008