NEW research has found that 66% of European consumers now consider the environmental impact of packaging when deciding what to buy.
The research by Perspectus Global – commissioned by recycled cartonboard producers – surveyed 6,149 consumers across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain.
The findings are said to underpin RDM Group’s latest campaign challenging brands and retailers to rethink whether virgin fibre is truly necessary, or whether recycled cartonboard can do the job just as well.
The survey found that consumer attention to packaging is ‘strikingly’ high, with 91% of respondents noticing packaging and 43% paying regular, close attention to it.
In the past year, 45% of consumers have chosen a brand because of its packaging, rising to 59% among 18–29-year-olds.
Sustainability matters to 75% of European consumers, and especially to younger age groups, with 77% of under-44s saying it is important to them. When people think of sustainability, more than half think first of packaging and recycling (55%).
Among 18–29-year-olds, 53% said they have switched away from a brand over packaging concerns.
The recyclability and sustainability of packaging matter to more than half of European consumers. Easy disposal and recycling is prioritised by 56% of consumers, while sustainability follows at 52%. Both factors outrank design and appearance, which scores just 18%.
69% of consumers choose recycled over virgin cartonboard when offered the same packaging, and four out of five believe that brands using it appear more responsible. 80% say that visible signs of recycled cartonboard use would help brands demonstrate their environmental credentials and be perceived as more responsible.
While awareness is growing, there is still room for more education. Just over half of respondents (54%) said they understood the difference between recycled and virgin cartonboard, rising to 66% in Italy but falling to 43% in the UK.
RDM Group is calling on brands to choose recycled cartonboard wherever substitution is possible.
“For too long, the default choice in packaging has been to start from scratch, to use virgin fibre even in applications where it simply isn’t necessary,” said Krzysztof Krajewski, chief sustainability and innovation officer at RDM Group. “Today, that assumption no longer holds weight. Advances in recycled cartonboard mean we can now deliver the same performance across a much wider range of applications than ever before.”
Find the full survey findings here.
