OVER half of the UK’s consumers visiting their local supermarket or food retailer would prefer their groceries and fresh produce packaged in paper-based material, according to new research commissioned by the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI).
Of the 2,289 people surveyed in a nationwide poll conducted by YouGov*, 57% of respondents preferred their grocery and food packaging in paper-based material, while 31% expressed no preference and 8% opted for plastic containers.
Support for paper came from all sections of society, according to the findings from YouGov. London scored the highest approval rating regionally with 62% in the capital favouring paper-based material for grocery packaging.
Consumers were also asked: assuming all other aspects of a product, such as price and quality, were equal, how likely would they be to buy a product from a retailer using paper-based containers compared to plastic containers? Forty-six percent of respondents were more likely or much more likely to purchase an item if the packaging was paper-based, compared to 47% who said it would make no difference, while just 3% were less likely.
CPI’s Director of Packaging Affairs, Andy Barnetson, hailed this latest poll as further evidence that corrugated is meeting the modern requirements of many consumers and retailers for convenient, attractive and sustainable grocery and food packaging.
The announcement was an opportunity for the CPI to restate its message that corrugated already protects, is colour-printable, merchandisable and the most recycled packaging medium. New digital printing equipment from a number of suppliers allows corrugated to align with other personalised packaging formats, enabling the industry to become even more effective at engaging consumers.
Its flat surface is ready-made for exploiting digital platforms such as Smartphone apps, Quick Response (QR) and Augmented Reality (AR) codes, meeting consumers’ growing appetite for instant access to product and dietary information. Corrugated’s evolution into a key marketing component and the latest advances in digital print technology are set to make it even more attractive, said the CPI.
