Greens Packaging is often opaque. The NRW consumer advice centre has now taken a close look at manufacturers' sustainability claims.
Organic milk in a supposed cardboard carton, washing-up liquid in a plastic bottle Made for recycling or sausage in the composite packaging with 65 per cent less plastic. Consumers are increasingly coming across packaging for food and drugstore products, that want to appear particularly environmentally friendly and advertise with corresponding messages. Lots of green colour, a natural The design and a variety of seals also emphasise the sustainability of the packaging material.
But is there really any ecological added value behind it? And are the sustainability claims verifiable for consumers and the information understandable? To find out, the NRW consumer advice centre took a closer look at a total of 60 packages (33 drugstore items and 27 food products). Selected examples were then scrutinised and discussed with consumers under scientific supervision.
Presentation too often suggests sustainability
Result: Potential buyers rated the majority of the products analysed based on their presentation as clearly More sustainable than the experts the consumer advice centre.
The consumer advice centre classifies beverage cartons as particularly problematic. Waste paper look such as organic milk.
"With such products, consumers assume that the packaging then belongs in the waste paper. However, drinks cartons are composite materials that have to be disposed of in the yellow bag." Philip Heldt, Environmental expert at the NRW consumer advice centre
Outer packaging made from sustainable paper - for toothpaste, for example - also suggested special eco-qualities to the participants. However, the additional wrapping of the plastic tube is unnecessary and consumes additional resources.
Statements such as Recyclable packaging or Made for recycling on packaging also led to unjustifiably positive judgements by consumers. An effective marketing trick, because "Here the manufacturers advertise with self-evident facts. By law, packaging must always be produced in such a way that it can be reused or recycled," explains Philip Heldt.
NRW consumer advice centre sees need for action
On the other hand, potential buyers and experts alike were positively impressed by Drugstore products whose packaging actually contains a very high proportion of recycled plastic (more than 90 per cent). Some manufacturers even use so-called Social Plastic. This is plastic that is collected from the environment and then recycled. Explain company this concept on their packaging and substantiate it credibly with further linksThis is particularly well received by consumers.
In contrast, the percentage figures and extrapolations for large packs were difficult for the respondents to categorise. The information is intended to convey that material and transport routes can be saved compared to smaller packaging units - an actual gain in terms of sustainability that consumers could not recognise straight away.
"As there are still no standards for sustainability claims on product packaging, consumers are left to their own devices to make their own judgements. This leads to 'greenwashing' effects as well as incorrect disposal." Philip Heldt
The NRW consumer advice centre sees need for action and therefore invited manufacturers to an expert discussion during the European Week for Waste Reduction. The study on sustainability claims on packaging was carried out as part of the EU and state-funded MehrWertKonsum project.
Source: Consumer advice centre NRW
