Global Consumers Demand Smarter Packaging

A new international study by Innventia, Stockholm, Sweden, titled Packaging 2020, describes seven global forces and their impact on the packaging industry and packaging of the future. Conclusions of the report, carried out in association with Stockholm-based Kairos Future, are based on a survey of consumers in the U.S., India, and Sweden. A clear majority of the 1,500 respondents see major problems with society's consumption of packaging.

According to the report, there are particular consumer concerns about the environmental impact of packaging in India, where 60% are prepared to go so far as to avoid purchasing a specific product if the packaging is seen to be environmentally unfriendly. The corresponding figure in Sweden is 20%. Plastic packaging is deemed to be the biggest environmental villain among Americans and Indians, while it is mainly aluminum packaging that Swedes shy away from.

There are demands for tougher quality controls and stricter environmental legislation, and a clear majority of consumers in all three countries would like to see somewhat stricter or much stricter environmental legislation.

Global consumers – particularly those in Sweden – are keen to see more innovative packaging. For example, three out of five (63%) would like to be able to scan goods to find out more about their origin and delivery, as well as detailed information about the content.

Fredrik Rosén, Manager of the Market and Consumer Insight group at Innventia, will be presenting a summary of the report during PaperCon 2013 in Atlanta. He will speak during the "State of the Industry" Session on May 1. More information about the PaperCon program is available online.

"A growing global middle class, an aging population, limited access to raw materials, and intensified urbanization are a few of the megatrends posing challenges for the product and packaging industry," says Fredrik Rosén, manager of the Market and Consumer Insight group at Innventia. "We're seeing purchasing decisions being guided by the packaging material itself, not just the appearance of the packaging. We're also seeing a clear demand and a great need for smarter packaging. In the future, stricter demands will be placed on packaging materials that come into contact with foodstuffs.

"The growth in online shopping will bring both challenges and opportunities for the packaging industry," Rosén continues. For example, will the brown cardboard boxes that products are usually shipped in today still be as brown and boring in the future, or will they become an important part of branding? When it comes to the packaging value chain, as the quest for high quality raw materials intensifies, recycling players will occupy a significantly stronger position. And its not unlikely that we'll see structural collaboration, whereby recyclers become involved in other parts of the value chain."

Key Report Figures

56% of consumers in India say that recycling is extremely important to them, compared with 32% in Sweden and 37% in the U.S.
When shopping online, 94% of Swedes would consider paying less for goods delivered in simple standard packaging instead of the original packaging.
20% of Swedish consumers worry very often about packaging containing harmful substances. The corresponding figure in India is 43%.
In India, 50% think that much stricter environmental legislation is needed. In Sweden, 17% take the same view, while 43% think legislation should be somewhat stricter.
60% of consumers in India avoid purchasing goods if the packaging is perceived to be environmentally unfriendly. In Sweden, the figure is 20%.
8% of Swedes worry that food may have thawed out on its way to the shop. The corresponding figure in India is 77%.
65% of Swedish consumers think that plastic is the least environmentally friendly material, compared with 47% for aluminum and 4% for paper (multiple answers were possible). In India, 30% think that paper is the least environmentally friendly material.
80% of Swedes think that requiring consumers to wear plastic gloves when handling fruit in a food shop is a bad idea, but 65% of consumers in India think this is a very good idea.
29% of Americans buy food online at least once a month. The corresponding figures are 35% in India and 5% in Sweden.
81% of Americans over the age of 55 say that the most irritating thing about packaging is difficulties opening it.
63% of Swedes say that they would be interested or extremely interested in being able to scan goods to find out more about their origin and delivery, and/or detailed information about the content.
44% of Swedish consumers have chosen one product over another in the last month, simply because it has been produced locally. The corresponding figure in the U.S. is 32%.
87% of Swedes taste milk before discarding it once it has passed its best before date.

For more information and to request an electronic copy of the report, contact Fredrik Rosén at Innventia, +46 (0)8 67 67 334.

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