For consumer goods packaging, sustainable packaging is no longer a “buzzword” used by people at will, but a part of the spirit of traditional brands and emerging brands. In May this year, SK Group conducted a survey on 1500 American adults’ attitudes towards sustainable packaging. The survey found that less than two fifths (38%) of Americans said they were confident of recycling at home.
Although consumers may lack confidence in their recycling habits, this does not mean that recyclable packaging is not important to them. The SK group study found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans may prefer products with packaging that is easy to recycle or reuse. In addition, 74% of respondents aged 18-34 said they might buy environmentally friendly products.
Although the obvious preference for recyclable packaging still exists, the study also found that 42% of respondents said they did not know that some recyclable packaging, such as plastic bottles, cannot be recycled unless you remove labels and other packaging materials first.
In its 2021 report “trends in beverage packaging in the United States”, inminster also emphasized consumers’ interest in sustainable packaging, but pointed out that its coverage is still limited.
“In general, consumers usually only participate in simple sustainable behaviors, such as recycling. They want the brand to make sustainable life as simple as possible,” said immint. In essence, consumers like products that provide understandable sustainable benefits, such as plastic bottles made of recycled plastics – the use of RPET is in line with consumers’ high interest in recycling. ”
However, inminster also stressed the importance of environmentally conscious consumers to brands, because this group usually has higher income and is willing to pay more for brands that meet their values. “The strong sustainability proposition resonates with consumers leading future food and beverage trends, making the sustainable packaging proposition a key difference and opportunity for emerging brands,” the report said. Investment in sustainable practices now will pay off in the future. ”
In terms of sustainable packaging investment, many beverage manufacturers are willing to pay high prices for pet (RPET) packaging and launch new products in aluminum packaging. The inminster report also highlighted the proliferation of aluminum packaging in beverages, but also pointed out that aluminum packaging, as a sustainable link between packaging and consumers, still has educational opportunities.
The report pointed out: “the popularity of aluminum ultra-thin cans, the growth of aluminum bottles and the wide use of aluminum in the alcoholic beverage industry have attracted people’s attention to the benefits of aluminum and promoted the adoption of aluminum by various brands. Aluminum has significant sustainability advantages, but most consumers believe that other beverage packaging types are more environmentally friendly, which indicates that brands and packaging manufacturers need to educate consumers on the sustainability qualification of aluminum. ”
Although sustainability has driven many innovations in beverage packaging, the epidemic has also affected packaging choices. “The epidemic has changed consumers’ ways of working, living and shopping, and packaging must also be developed to cope with these changes in consumers’ lives,” said the inminster report. It is worth noting that the epidemic has brought new opportunities for larger and smaller packaging. ”
Yingminte found that for food with larger packaging, in 2020, more are consumed at home, and the number of remote office employees is also increasing. The rise of online shopping has also led to an increase in consumers’ interest in large packaging. “During the epidemic, 54% of consumers bought groceries online, compared with 32% before the epidemic. Consumers tend to buy larger inventories through online grocery stores, which gives brands the opportunity to promote large packaged goods online. ”
In terms of alcoholic beverages, experts predict that with the recurrence of the epidemic, more household consumption will still exist. This may lead to greater demand for large packaging products.
Although large packaging is favored during the epidemic, small packaging still has new opportunities. “Although the overall economy is recovering rapidly from the epidemic, the unemployment rate is still high, which shows that there are still business opportunities for small and economical packaging,” said the report Yingminte also pointed out that small packaging allows healthy consumers to enjoy it. The report points out that Coca Cola launched 13.2 ounces of new bottled drinks earlier this year, and Monster Energy also launched 12 ounces of canned drinks.
Beverage manufacturers want to establish contact with consumers, and packaging characteristics will receive greater attention
Post time: Apr-20-2022