http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/03/17/consumers-ready-to-kiss-convenience-packaging-goodbye/ The Executive's Daily Green Briefing Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:35:28 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/03/17/consumers-ready-to-kiss-convenience-packaging-goodbye/comment-page-1/#comment-43043 Kent Ragen Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:18:10 +0000 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/03/17/consumers-ready-to-kiss-convenience-packaging-goodbye/#comment-43043 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 www.ecounit.com 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

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