New study reveals: Consumers don't want plastic

According to the results of a study by DS Smith, 62 % of European consumers say they prefer to buy food that is not packaged in plastic.

7 November 2019

„Consumers in Europe are increasingly critical of unnecessary packaging and plastic packaging in particular - so much so that they are now even prepared to pay more money for less plastic in their packaging,“ said Michael Lamprecht, Cluster Director Conventional South at DS Smith, commenting on the results of a new study on environmental awareness and recycling.

According to the results of a study by DS Smith, one of Europe's leading sustainable packaging solutions companies, 62 % of European consumers say they prefer to buy food that is not packaged in plastic and would be willing to spend more for it.

62 % of them also agreed to pay an extra 12.5 % for this packaging option with less plastic.

Given the choice between two packaging options for the same product, 9 out of 10 consumers surveyed (91.5 %) would choose the packaging option with 85 % less plastic. (Image: DS Smith)

The findings are the result of a survey conducted in July 2019 on the Consumer behaviour and habits with regard to packaging, recycling and waste disposal. 3,395 consumers were surveyed in DS Smith's most important markets Belgium, Germany, Great Britain and Poland.

Plastic: Europe's number 1 packaging problem

A large majority of those surveyed (86 %) see Environmental problems the biggest challenge of today's society. Packaging is a major concern for European consumers from Cardiff to Krakow. The Germans (83 %) were the most concerned about packaging, followed by the British (78 %), Belgians (73 %) and Poles (71 %).

When it comes to packaging, 70 % of all respondents identified plastic as the number one problem (Image: DS Smith)

Recycling: a key to solving problems

However, the recycling behaviour of Europeans has significantly improved.

On average, 59 % of respondents in the four markets said they sort and recycle more today than they did five years ago. (Image: DS Smith)

Germany is an exception here: Here, only 44 % of respondents recycle more than five years ago. This low percentage is probably due to the fact that sorting and recycling have long been firmly anchored in the German mindset.

„For the sake of our planet, we must develop a comprehensive Circular economy in which packaging is reduced to the absolute minimum and in which consumer goods packaging increasingly consists of recyclable and recycled materials such as corrugated cardboard or cardboard.“
Michael Lamprecht, Cluster Director Conventional South of DS Smith

Environmental awareness needs information

According to the study, the driving forces behind environmental awareness are the media and the Retail initiatives, to offer fewer plastic bags. 30 % of the consumers surveyed stated that the reporting in the Media has contributed to a greater focus on the topics of packaging and recycling. 26 % has recognised the increasing Elimination of plastic bags in the retail sector.

Despite the growing awareness among consumers, those surveyed still believe that Need for information on packaging recycling.