Pro Carton: How is packaging perceived in Europe?

The commitment of German consumers to a sustainable lifestyle is obvious: while 1 in 10 German consumers are prepared to pay 10 to 20 per cent of their bills. spend more on a product that is less harmful to the environment, two per cent would even spend 20 per cent or more - the highest figures in Europe. A quarter (25 %) would spend 5 to 10 per cent more and 34 per cent could imagine paying up to five per cent more.

The study carried out on behalf of Pro Carton, the European Association of the Cartonboard and Carton Industry surveyed over 5000 European consumers in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK about their attitudes towards the environment and their perception of packaging and related issues such as deforestation, transport and other global problems such as the war in Ukraine, Covid-19 and the economic crisis. 

Sustainability is not only an important factor in consumers' purchasing decisions. Among the five biggest challenges named by German consumers, climate change (63 %) ranks second after war (74 %), followed by the cost of living (60 %), poverty (51 %) and plastic in the sea (48 %). Cost of living is perceived as a major problem by consumers across Europe, and the comparatively greater war concerns of German consumers are almost certainly due to the proximity to the current conflict.

The study also found that German consumers are increasingly concerned about the amount of plastic waste in the oceans (increase of 64 %), while more than half (58 %) want to see more plastic waste in the oceans. Concerns about the impact of plastic packaging make. More than three quarters (77 %) of respondents believe that the cost of living, the war in Ukraine and the consequences of the pandemic are standing in the way of a stronger focus on a more sustainable lifestyle.