The Retailer Autumn 2017_v1

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36 | autumn 2017 | retailer
A majority of consumers will pay more
for packaging sustainability
insights
Tom Hallam
Business Development Director
BillerudKorsnäs
CONSUMERS WANT PACKAGING THAT HELPS THEM
BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE – HELPFUL BRANDS
WILL BE THE FIRST TO RESPOND.
The BillerudKorsnäs Consumer Panel asked citizens in 16
megacities all over the world about their view on the role
of packaging in everyday life and as a contributor to a
sustainable future. The answers are as clear as they are
enlightening: Packaging sustainability is top of the agenda
for many consumers.
Product packaging is set to play an increasingly important role in
creating a more sustainable global economy and consumers are
ready to play their part in this world-spanning movement. They
are increasingly keen to choose brands that help them make
sustainable choices – with packaging as a key factor.
This is one outcome from the BillerudKorsnäs Consumer Panel
on packaging sustainability, where consumers from cities all over
the world described their view on the role of packaging in their
everyday life and as a contributor to a sustainable future.
“Consumers are ready for action.
They want packaging that helps them
change behaviour and are ready to
pay for it.”
The consumer panel used an NPA (Net Positive Attitude) index to
measure trends in attitudes. The scale goes from -100 to +100,
with +30 as an indication of a very positive attitude. “Packaging
sustainability” got a global score of +54.1, a very high indication
that this is something consumers are passionate about.
In the overall analysis of the Consumer Panel, it is clear that
some 72% of consumers around the world are willing to pay
more for products with packaging that brings sustainable
benefits. The research was conducted by BillerudKorsnäs, a
leading developer of sustainable packaging materials and
solutions for the global consumer goods market. These include
world-leading paper and board material, and innovative solutions
that increase brand profitability while reducing environmental
impact.
“We conducted one of the first consumer panels on packaging
sustainability because we wanted to really understand how
aware consumers are of packaging sustainability and how willing
they are to act, and we were very encouraged by the results,”
says Jon Haag, Director of Consumer Insights at BillerudKorsnäs.
“What we discovered is that consumers are ready for action.
They want packaging that helps them change behaviour and they
are ready to pay for it. But they want to see some benefits in
return.”
This might include avoiding food waste. On average 15% of the
contents of a jar of mayonnaise, for example, will be wasted
because the packaging isn’t well designed.
“Consumers want to avoid wasting food like this,” says Jon Haag.
“According to our survey, the top two dream results from better
packaging are clearly to ‘reduce food waste’ and ‘make it fun and
easy to recycle’.”
To achieve this BillerudKorsnäs has recently collaborated with
engineering company Bosch Packaging Technology to create a
new variety of consumer bag for dry foods made entirely from
mono-material paper. These are easier to recycle because
consumers and recycling plants don’t have to separate out its
different constituent parts.
The solution directly impacts brand owners by leading to lower
packaging waste fees. The consumers get paper-based dry food
packaging that has sustainable benefits in addition to being
dust-free, which both gives a better experience and minimises
food waste. The solution is called “The world’s first sealed paper
packaging” and is ideal for free-flowing goods such as sugar,
flour, pasta, grains or powders.
“It’s an exciting example of Bosch’s packaging technology and
our expertise in packaging papers,” says Jon Haag. “The result is
that you get a better consumer experience, you save on
production costs and waste less natural resources.”
To meet consumer demand for easier recycling, BillerudKorsnäs
is also creating packaging that can be used up or consumed once
the product is finished, and is already enjoying considerable
success in the construction sector with its award-winning
product D-Sack.
Developed with building materials manufacturer LafargeHolcim,
this cement packaging goes into the concrete mixer, along with
its contents, minimising litter and cement waste at the same time
as helping to create a cleaner, healthier and safer workplace. The
disappearing paper sack optimises time needed for handling and
mixing, and as an added benefit there are no costly waste-
disposal requirements. Similar products to D-Sack are set to
enter the consumer market.
“Consumers are more and more aware of the effects of
packaging on the environment, from litter on the streets to
pollution in the oceans,” says Jon Haag. “They want to take
action and so empowering them to recycle more is already
paying off. Increasingly, we’ll see this as a brand differentiator.
As well as the design and feel of packaging, shoppers will
choose products with packaging that is easier to recycle.
Collaboration will be key to solving the challenges of the
future and we encourage all stakeholders to reach out to
find those partnerships.”
The consumer survey was performed in megacities such as
Jakarta, Shanghai, London, Berlin and Karachi and shows
regional differences in the level of customer dedication to
sustainability. Most notably Manila, Mumbai and Delhi score
very high. There are also other indications.
“We discovered that packaging sustainability is particularly
important to Asian consumers,” says Jon Haag. “You normally
see 5 to 7% of respondents making the effort to add an
additional comment to a survey, but we had over 20% globally
and 31% in Asia. That’s a remarkable level of engagement.”
“Differentiating your brand with sustainability benefits in
packaging will have a quick impact in Asia today, and will happen
shortly in Europe and the US. So brands have to start taking
action now.”
TOM HALLAM
// +44 (0) 7942 800 160
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retailer | AUTUMN 2017 | 37
“Differentiating
your brand with
sustainability
benefits in
packaging
will have a
quick impact
in Asia”
insights