22nd April 2022
Packaging Strategies in 2022
Introduction
In recent years consumer concern towards the environment has grown with more and more people looking to try and lead a sustainable lifestyle. These concerns have been brought about by first-hand exposure to damage to the planet, such as high levels of pollution, the destruction of natural resources, and more erratic and unpredictable weather patterns, all of which can have wide-ranging implications. This is having a direct impact on the way consumers look at packaging and will create multiple opportunities for brands to understand how they can target sustainably aware consumers. So, what are consumers expecting from packaging solutions in 2022?
Packaging Perceptions
Historically, consumers have had something of a negative attitude towards packaging, believing that it is a major contributor to environmental damage. This can be highlighted as 46% of global consumers say that they find it difficult to recycle some types of packaging. Also, 71% of global consumers say that people not recycling is a major barrier to the environment.
This highlights how consumers find not being able to understand whether packaging is recyclable a barrier to leading a sustainable lifestyle. Therefore, brands need to ensure that packaging is as sustainable as possible, whilst also taking the hassle out of the recycling process. At the same time, it is crucial that more sustainable packaging is not seen to compromise on other need states.
What Can Brands Do?
FMCG Gurus consumer insights highlight a number of barriers to recycling. Firstly 41% of global consumers say that they find recycling to be too time-consuming. This is an issue as many consumers feel time scarce as they look to cram as many activities into the day as possible, often not having as much time as they like to spend doing the things they enjoy as a result. This means that consumers will look to minimize the amount of time that they spend on tasks deemed less enjoyable. If recycling is deemed to be time-consuming by a considerable proportion of people, they will be less likely to do this.
As a result, brands need to look for ways to take the hassle out of recycling, either by making the process as simplified as possible or by offering incentives so that consumers feel more motivated to engage in such activity. This can be achieved by making information about recycling simpler and easier to understand on the packaging. There is also an opportunity for brands to offer compostable and biodegradable packaging as these are often associated with being easier to recycle.
Refillable Packaging
As consumers focus on tackling a number of different sustainable issues such as global warming, carbon emissions, and food waste, they will seek out new packaging initiatives which meet their desires. Refillable packaging is of key interest to consumers with 43% of global consumers wanting brands to offer this. Consumers believe that packaging that can be re-used is sustainable and offering cost incentives for this can position packaging around a win-win for the person and the planet. Therefore, refillable packaging is not just beneficial to consumers as it tackles sustainable issues such as food waste and carbon footprint but it can also be positioned around financial benefit, which is key in a time of uncertainty.