NEW research has found that consumers remain confused over which materials are best for the environment.
A survey by Sapio Research, conducted on behalf of Celebration Packaging, looked at consumer understanding of the bans on single-use plastic packaging, the alternative materials available and expectations around reusables.
“In our previous report on the findings of the survey, we looked at how over 50% of consumers expect a food-to-go outlet to provide cutlery, while 51% of consumers never, or rarely use reusable cutlery for eating on the go,” explained Celebration MD Nick Burton. “We concluded that takeaways are still going to have a requirement for single-use cutlery of some kind, despite the bans.”
When compared to plastic, the survey showed that 42% of consumers in the UK agree that wood is their most preferred type of cutlery, because it is sturdy (43%) and recyclable or compostable (42%).
Only 17% of respondents in were aware of moulded fibre cutlery, sometimes called bagasse, as a viable alternative.
“In the survey, the preference expectations around bamboo and metal as reusable cutlery lead us to believe that consumers are yet to discover the benefits of bagasse cutlery alternatives,” Nick revealed.
“When we established our EnviroWare brand over 16 years ago, we set out to seek better and more sustainable packaging solutions, made from different materials which can be reused or recycled.”
When asked to comment on the environmental impact of different materials, three in four respondents felt that plastic cutlery is worst for the environment, while there is less consensus on which is the best. Around a quarter believe that metal (27%), wood (25%), or paper (23%) is best.
“It is important for consumers to understand the varying environmental impacts of different materials, but they also need to know if these materials are sustainably sourced,” Nick added. “We always say, ‘look for the FSC logo‘ to see if wood, paper or bamboo products are Forestry Stewardship Council-certified.”
Understanding of how to dispose of different cutlery types also differed widely. 27% of consumers in the UK don’t know how to dispose of moulded fibre cutlery, while 63% know that plastic cutlery should be recycled.
“It is interesting that the understanding around whether materials are recyclable or compostable varies so much depending on the age group,” Nick said. “Surprisingly, older people are more likely to prefer a material for being recyclable – 25% in the 18 to 24 group versus 58% in the over 65s. 43% in the 55-64 age group preferred materials for being ‘good for the environment’, but this fell to 20% for 18-24 year olds.
“Celebration Packaging offers a wide range of options including EnviroWare packaging made from compostable and recyclable materials. As a consultative business with many years’ experience in the sector, we can help outlets choose the most appropriate solutions which best match their business.”
