1. Created by PTR
Learn more at : www.PackagingTechnologyAndResearch.com
Current Issues and
Advances in
Consumer Research
and Testing for
Sustainable
Packaging
Ziynet Boz, Ph.D.
Packaging Technology and Research LLC.
Claire Koelsch Sand, Ph.D., Packaging
Technology and Research LLC.
Virpi Korhonen
Package Testing and Research Ltd.
June 2019
29th IAPRI Symposium

2. Outline
• Introduction: Motivation and Objectives
• Packaging Sustainability
• Definitions and the Role of Sustainability in Packaging Value Chain
• Consumer perceptions of sustainable packaging
• Consumer behavior theories on Sustainability
• Factors on Sustainability Perceptions
• Packaging for Post-Consumption Behavior Redirection
• Perspectives
• Opportunities
• Strategies
• Research Needs

3. Introduction: Motivation and Objectives
• Contemporary issues packaging industry at crossroads:
• More sustainable packaging
• Not reducing environmental impact > regulations, bans, forced
value chain
• Consumers consciousness on sustainable packaging
• Highly visible packaging waste
• Sustainable packaging efforts of companies expect
consumer satisfaction
• Tradeoffs: Cost, time-to-market, technical aspects, cross
team alignments
• Business cases and consumer communication are
needed
ENERGY WATER
URBANIZATION
POPULATION CLIMATE
CHANGING
DIETS
ECONOMIC
GROWTH
FOOD

4. Packaging Sustainability
• Definitions: Sustainable development? Sustainable packaging?
• Brundtland Report (1987) : the development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs
• Definition by SPA: The first definition
• Effective, Efficient, Cyclic, Clean
• Definition by SPC: Connection to renewable energy
• Beneficial, safe & healthy
• Market criteria, performance, cost
• Processing and transportation via renewable energy
• Healthy materials
• Material and energy optimization
• Recovery/use in closed loop cycles
2Brundtland Report UN (1987)

5. Sustainability in Packaging Value Chain
• Sustainability in the entire value chain, material
properties alone is not sufficient
• Environmental impact packaging (LCA)
• During Eco-Design
• Available commercial tools: COMPASS, SPC,
PackageSmart, Australian Packaging Covenant, PIQUET
• Many tools lack three pillars of sustainable development
• Qualitative or cannot be applied to specific packaging (E.g.
intelligent packaging)
• Effect of sustainable packaging on sustainable
foods
• Food waste incorporation into LCA studies. E.g. Contribution
of food waste reduction more impactful than packaging
material
• Consumer-package interactions. E.g. “Easy to empty” the
most important factor due to food waste reduction
• Packaging Relative Environmental Impact (Licciardello,
2017)

6. 6
Adapted from (Licciardello,2017)
FOCUSED EFFORTS!

7. Consumer Perceptions of
Sustainable Packaging
• Misinterpretations
• Perceptions vs. Measured
Sustainability?
• Least sustainable tomato
packaging was rated the
most sustainable packaging
• Glass and card paperboard
packaging are usually rated
the highest without
consideration of sourcing or
manufacture 4Steenis et al. 2017

8. Greenwashing
• Misleading claim, symbol, color; ”Eco-friendly” claims,
green leaf symbols
• 200% increase greenwashing labels from 2009-2010
• Packaging visibility can contribute to the sustainability
perceptions
• Removal of greenwashing due to consumer backlash
• E.g. Use of only green without claims affected efficacy
perception6
• Perceived risk may be aligned with previous greenwashing
• Legitimate brands to lose their competitiveness and
discouraged
• Green marketing failures
• Pricing regular products as premium
• Promotional efforts not product development
• Marketing for compliance
• Green entrepreneurship

9. Consumer Behavior Theories
Value-action gap Metamotivation
Barriers to
Sustainable
Behaviors
Theory of
Reasoned Action &
Theory of Planned
Behavior
Spillover Effect
Social Desirability
Bias

10. Factors Affecting Sustainable
Packaging Decisions
• Design
• On-label claims
• Price vs. Value
• Product
• Overpackaging
Demographics
Country of Origin
Norms and Values Packaging Elements and Cues

11. Sustainable Post-Consumption Behaviors
• Post-consumption behaviors need to be a subject
of study
• Environmental awareness and “eco-friendly” attitude
• Willingness to trade all attributes in favor of
environmentally friendly packaging except for taste and
price for beverages
• Material properties and structural cues > Sustainability
• Previous research > Recycling practices not recycling
of different materials
• WTP Plastics>Glass>Carton>Aluminum vs. After
watching a video – Aluminum WTP increased
• States with incentives did not have a higher WTP for
bottles; Accustomization to higher prices, Time
sensitivity,
In the U.S.
Less than 15%
of plastics packaging
is recycled (USNRDS)

12. Perspectives: Opportunities
• Business case creation
• For Municipalities to gain insights: Group norms of disposal
• Alignment between municipalities and business
• Connect sustainable packaging to low-income populations
• Fuel the circular economy in low and middle-income regions: Innovation, jobs, income
• Creating affordable and sustainable packaging for low-income populations
• Consistent definition for sustainability should be adopted across the industry so that
the industry can essentially police itself.

13. Perspectives: Directions
• Package design is an avenue worthy of innovation in communicating
sustainability to consumers.
• Sustainable criteria much like clean label criteria can be used to
communicate aspects of sustainability that resonate with consumers
• Companies with socially responsible corporate values will be more
credible to target consumers only if environmental claims have
substance.
• A comprehensive LCA for the assessment of the food waste-decreasing
packaging
• Category-wide initiatives to switch to a lower volume container, more
sustainable design or material force provide leadership that consumers
need in sustainability

14. Perspectives: Directions
• Linking sustainability data with smartphone technology that
informs consumers on recycling
• Food waste and Recycling in packaging LCA studies
• Communicate of the social and economic impacts
• Identify the most important product features and don’t
sacrifice them for sustainability
• Learn about the most effective packaging design cues
communicating the eco-friendliness in your product category
• Promote behaviors generating positive spillover effects
and avoid those causing negative
• Promote actions supporting consumers’ self-perception and
making them look more socially desirable
• Design universal (not culture-specific) labels or markings for
identifying reusable and recyclable packaging

15. Perspectives: Research Needs
• Define consumer attitudes as a function of low, lower middle
and upper middle populations
• Internalize consumption of food and packaging with consumers
• Assess the motives for recycling specific material types
• Studies on increasing the knowledge of pro- and neutral-
environmental consumers for sustainability behaviors on
packaging.

16. Perspectives: Research Needs
• WTP for sustainability features are not offset when consumers
are informed that sustainable packaging enables less food
waste and less money lost on spoiled food
• Gain a better understanding of consumer dynamics. E.g.
recycling and environmentally-conscious purchase
• Learn about the most common misconceptions about
packaging for educating your consumers and meeting shared
value goals.

17. Thank you! Let’s Connect
https://ptr.fi/
contact@ptr.fi
Claire@PackagingTechnologyAndResearch.com
www.PackagingTechnologyAndResearch.com
Ziynet@PackagingTechnologyAndResearch.com
www.PackagingTechnologyAndResearch.com
For a reference list for the slides, please contact us!