A majority of consumers believe packaging is 'excessive'
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A majority of consumers believe that contemporary packaging has become excessive. That’s the finding of a new study, “Sustainable Packaging Trends: Consumer Perspectives and Product Opportunities,” from Datamonitor (www.datamonitor.com), which surveyed customers in 15 countries in 2008. Given this statistic, Datamonitor suggests that providing more sustainable packaging plays a significant part in meeting customers' expectations,
Key findings of the study include the following:
• Ecological issues are undoubtedly firmly in the mainstream of society, with more than 75% of consumers stating that protecting the environment is important to them. However, there is a pronounced attitude/behavior gap, with around 25% of consumers not acting on their beliefs by buying environmentally friendly products
• Industry players must ensure that all the routes toward sustainable packaging are evaluated and contribute to broader efforts to educate consumers. For every change to packaging, there are both positive and negative consequences to be considered
• Many consumers would like to simplify their lives and de-clutter them, both emotionally and physically. Packaging that is more sustainable, due to being less excessive and less draining on resources, can be a part of this important de-cluttering process. In that sense, it becomes “lifestyle supporting.”
More information on the study, including the table of contents and ordering information is available online.
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Yes,
I've noticed Rembrandt has reduced the amount of paste they put in their toothpaste tube, but the size of the tube has stayed the same. The result is a half filled tube. How wasteful.
Hi there
My opinion is - NO
Packaging is an important aspect for food to - protect, preserve, store and extend the shelf life as well as informative, attractive and aesthetic to any particular product uniquely designed.
My Answer is - NO the packaging is not excessive at all!!
People hate packaging because it is the only waste stream they come into contact with in their daily lives. In the industry, we know for example that building, mining and manufacturing waste is much, much greater than packaging waste. Packaging is only about 3% of waste but gets 90% of adverse publicity. The other main reason is that people don't understand the need for industrial scale food production and the logistics involved in distributing the products to them. If they did, they would see how vital the packaging is.
We shouldn't be complacent, we should develop 'green' solutions, but I object to people taking a start position of 'packaging bad'. We should celebrate packaging and its role in modern society. Arguably, packaging is one of the few inherently green industries, being mainly concerned with waste reduction, not waste generation.
Like most, I decry the amount of packaging involved in most products. Yet, also like most consumers, I want a product that is UNDAMAGED when I get it home.
I want it to be easy to transport without sustaining damage.
As a packaging engineer, I must follow federal and state mandates to protect the consumer from such damage, pilferage or contamination/tampering. Sometimes these requirements are at odds with each other.
Then of course there is marketing. We must make the package so that it sells the product - another something to look at, consider and weigh the options.
Now let us consider that the Arizona State Professor who has made "Garbology" a long term study has stated that for the last 4 decades or more, packaging has been stable at less than 10% of landfill space. Rated much higher is YARD WASTE (grass clippings, shrub trimmings, etc) and the highest yet is PRINTED MATERIAL (phone books, newsprint, magazines) yet we see no real drive to lessen these items from our life. One reason may be is that we WANT those magazines, current telephone books, etc. while packaging is, by design, a throw away material.
One final facet - a poll some years ago (when green was not yet a buzz word) asked two questions: A - would you like more environmentally-friendly packaging? the answer was an overwhelming YES; but question B - are you willing to pay more for it? the answer was a definite NO!
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