Sustainable consumer behaviour and packaging

Sustainable consumer behaviour and packaging report
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Why diving into sustainable packaging?

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Consumers hold positive attitudes towards sustainable packaging.

Consumers see (food) packaging as an environmental burden.

Consumers are not aware that preventing food waste outweighs the environmental effect of the packaging itself.

Packaging can affect the
- purchase intention
- choice behaviour
- price & quality perception
- taste impression
- health perceptions
- health perceptions and can evoke an emotional response

We are all responsible and need to cooperate to transition towards sustainable packaging.

You want to join and be an eco- friendly business, don’t you?

Check here business cases for inspiration

The packaging lifecycle for consumers

This infographic will focus on three consumer behaviours; purchase, use and disposal behaviour.

Purchase behaviour

Sustainability perception of packaging

Consumers knowledge about (sustainable) packaging is limited! The perceived sustainable packaging is not always the most sustainable based on an LCA.

The sustainability perception example below is focused on materials. Download the recycle check to evaluate your packaging material(s).

Go to Recycle Checks

For plastic packaging, it can help to communicate why you are using plastic.

In the Netherlands, 96% of metal cans are recycled. It can be endlessly recycled.

These materials have higher perceived sustainability, but it’s not always ‘better’!

Who is your customer?

The design process starts with what to pack and who your customer is. There are different consumers. Broadly speaking, two big categories can be distinguished regarding sustainability, they are explained below.

Go to Recycle Checks

The influence of the environment?

In-shop scenario

Green advertising can work for consumers who don’t show a high environmental involvement. Consumers with a high environmental involvement are already intrinsically motivated: extra green advertising doesn’t lead to a higher purchase intention.

When sustainability is communicated well, people recognise the effort and are willing to pay a premium price. The premium price may be 1-5% more than the conventional packaging.

But be aware of compromising on factors like:
- performance
- durability
- convenience
- and taste

How to guide the consumer during the purchase phase?

Use cues to inform and attract consumers for the purchase of sustainable packaging

Environmental claims

Use behaviour

Food waste vs packaging waste

Find a balance for your packaging. Check The Sustainable Packaging Compass to find out the environmental impact.

Go to The Sustainable Packaging Compass

What do you pack? Most food waste can be found in the following categories:

At home use scenario

Where will your packaging be used? Indoor or outdoor?

After opening the packaging the consumer can do two things:
- Unpack it (mostly the case for fruits and vegetables)
- Repack the food

Influence the storage habits:
-Make the consumer aware of the packaging’s functionalities, benefits and handling instructions
- Educate consumers through building awareness (e.g., about food waste)
-Present the information on packaging clearly visible

Stimulate reuse of your packaging. E.g., new storage for other products. Users must deal with cognitive limitations like habits, routines and cues.

How to help consumers to understand your packaging?

Structural cues can help, there are two types important for the use behaviour:

Use cues to inform consumers during the use of sustainable packaging

Example packaging for support during the use phase

Check out other examples for inspiration

Disposal behaviour

At home disposal behaviour

(Industrially) compostable packaging can confuse consumers. They may think it can be disposed of with green waste, but this is not allowed at the moment.

Stating that the packaging is recyclable inhibits perceiving it as waste.

When the packaging is empty, it has no value anymore for the consumer and is perceived as waste.

Outdoor disposal scenario

How to prevent litter?
- Packaging which has no loose parts
- reusable design
- recloseable design
- communicate disposal guide icons
- customised packaging for the products to minimise the waste.

A consumer has three choices after using the packaging: keep it, abandon it or get rid of it temporarily

What cues could you use for assisting during the disposal phase?

Examples of designing for proper disposal behaviour

In conclusion

To change behaviour, consumers need to have the motivation, opportunity and ability to do so. Below you can find a brief overview of some factors influencing sustainable consumer behaviour.

Highlight the benefits of sustainable packaging.

Ask consumers to dispose of it properly, let the packaging be an extrinsic motivation.

Help the consumer to make a more sustainable choice.

Help consumers to sustain their idea of being a green consumer.

Appeal to the emotions, but not too strong.

What’s your consumers’ attitude towards sustainability? Adjust your communication based on their attitude (intentions).

Think about where the packaging will be used and thrown away: at home or outside?

When will consumers use the packaging? Are they with friends, are they busy and what does it mean for the packaging?

Provide consumers with an eco-friendlier alternative.

Design the packaging in such a way it is convenient for the consumer to purchase, use and dispose of the packaging.

Provide information and educate the consumer.

Give the consumer the feeling they can buy, use, and dispose of the packaging.

Be aware of your target groups’ skills in creating a user-friendly design (e.g., granny vs millennial)

Download and order

Download below the Sustainable consumer behaviour and packaging report for more in-depth information about the theory and strategies! And order below the free Cues Cube for a physical summary of sustainable packaging cues, which one can use at the company!

Sustainable consumer behaviour and packaging report Order the Cues Cube

Disclaimer: The Netherlands Institute for Sustainable Packaging has taken the utmost care in compiling this infographic. No rights can be derived from the texts and designs. The infographic uses the Dutch waste environment for the scenarios. Sources can be found in the Sustainable consumer behaviour and packaging report. ©2022