Sustainability is Driving Food Packaging – How Will Your Brand Respond?

Sustainability has gained priority across nearly every industry, as consumers embrace making environmentally-friendly choices. According to a Nielsen Holdings study, 55% of respondents will pay extra for goods from companies committed to environmental responsibility. 52% said they would check the company’s environmental practices to measure their environmental impact.

In response to changing consumer values, companies realize they must make sustainable choices across every aspect of business operations.

Keeping Up With Consumer Values

Historically, the major deciding factors for food packaging, both in consumer packaged goods and the restaurant industry, have been:

• Performance – Food packaging must pass rigorous testing to meet consumer needs for convenience, portability, heat retention, leakage, product preservation, and more. 
• Cost –  Manufacturers work hard to ensure that the cost of packaging does not exceed a certain percentage of their product cost

More recently, however, brands have begun exploring how to deliver sustainable packaging to their customers while balancing cost and performance.

Food Packaging of the Future

Consumers have made it clear they want less plastic, more biodegradable materials, and reduced packaging overall. To meet this consumer demand, major players from McDonald’s to Nestle and Coca-Cola are leading the charge for research and development of friendlier alternatives for our food.

If your company wants to ditch the plastic and seek more environmentally-friendly options, you’ll likely want to conduct research to determine the best options. Before adopting sustainable packaging that’s sustainable for your business, you must balance a variety of factors:

• Available alternatives
• What your customers want
• What functions best  
• Which options you can afford

Here are a few examples of companies who are innovating when it comes to product packaging:

Carlsberg Beer

The brewery unveiled their sustainable “paper beer bottle” in 2015. In partnership with EcoXpac, Carlsberg designed the package using responsibly-sourced, sustainable wood fibers. The bottle is 100% bio-based and fully recyclable. These efforts are a part of Carlsberg’s sustainability commitment to zero carbon emissions at its breweries and a 30% reduction in its carbon footprint by 2030.

EnviGreen

EnviGreen’s founder spent about four years researching the effects of a plastic bag ban on low-income citizens in his hometown of Mangalore. In order to provide alternatives to people who cannot afford cloth bags, this biotech company produces 100% organic, biodegradable “plastic” bags.

The bags come from natural starch and vegetable oil derivatives. They are non-toxic to plant and animal life, soften in water and disintegrate in hot water. EnviGreen aims to eliminate every-day plastic use in food packaging with its products.

Alter Eco

In 2011, the organic chocolate company set out to find sustainable alternatives to their non-recyclable plastic packaging. An assessment of the environmental impact of their plastic pouches found that in just one year, they produced 1.8 miles of plastic waste. The company set out to discover new options.

After running multiple test packages between 2012-2016, they created the first compostable stand-up pouch made from a renewable, plant-based, non-GMO materials. For their truffles, Alter Eco makes a compostable wrapper made of eucalyptus and birch trees with microscopic aluminum layers that maintain freshness. The packaging composts in industrial facilities and will biodegrade in the ocean.

Rhoeco

The tea company, Rhoeco, has opted for sustainable packaging that is an extension of their conceptual tea blends. They offer a simple, sophisticated package resembling a plant pot. Seeds line the inner part of the package’s lid and when the last tea is drunk, the consumer can use the seeds to plant it in the same pot. The container is reusable and compostable, making it a zero-waste option.

This brand found a way to reduce waste while at the same time setting themselves apart.

What it Takes to Lead The Pack

The reality of today’s consumer-focused business culture means companies that don’t evolve go extinct.  Keeping up with changing consumer trends has the potential to:

• Grow sales through innovation 
• Build customer loyalty
• Humanizes your brand and sets you apart 
• Shows consumers you care

How is your company staying up to date with trends?

Read How 5 Major Companies Used Market Research to Grow Their Business (and Win Loyal Fans)

Contact Voccii® to discuss your personalized research project.