How To Choose Sustainable Packaging?

Consumers want sustainability, but they don’t want to be misled. Innova Market Insights notes that since 2018, environmental claims such as “carbon footprint,” “reduced packaging,” and “plastic-free” on food and beverage packaging have nearly doubled (92%). However, the surge in sustainability information has raised concerns about unverified claims. “To reassure environmentally conscious consumers, we have observed an increase in product offerings over the past few years that capitalize on consumers’ emotions with ‘green’ claims that may not necessarily be substantiated,” said Aiyar. “For products that do have verifiable claims about end-of-life, we will continue to work to address consumer uncertainty around the correct disposal of such packaging to promote effective waste management.” Environmentalists anticipate a “wave of lawsuits” following the UN’s announcement of plans to establish a global plastic pollution treaty, while regulators are cracking down on false advertising as demands for large companies to clean up plastic waste increase. Recently, McDonald’s, Nestle, and Danone were reported for failing to comply with France’s plastic reduction targets under the “duty of vigilance” law. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have favored plastic packaging.

Due to hygiene requirements related to the pandemic, anti-plastic sentiment has cooled off. Meanwhile, the European Commission found that over half (53%) of product claims evaluated in 2020 provided “vague, misleading, or unsubstantiated information about a product’s environmental characteristics”. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority is investigating how “green” products are marketed and whether consumers are being misled. But the greenwashing trend also allows honest brands to provide scientifically validated statements and receive support from transparent and regulated mechanisms such as plastic credits, with some suggesting that we have entered a “post-LCA world.” Global consumers are increasingly demanding transparency in sustainability claims, with 47% wanting to see packaging’s environmental impact expressed in scores or grades, and 34% saying a decrease in carbon footprint score would positively influence their purchasing decisions.