This document discusses consumer cultures and food packaging from an ethnographic research perspective. It defines consumer culture and argues that qualitative research is needed to understand how identities are shaped by consumption and how consumption habits are molded by identities. The roles of food packaging in consumer choices and everyday lives are examined. The document also outlines the history of food packaging from industrialization to today's single-use plastic culture and takeaway trends. It reflects on stakeholders' differing views of responsibility in transitioning to sustainable packaging and consumers' challenges with sorting and recycling.

1. Cultures and
changes in food
packaging
Kirsi Sonck-Rautio, Åbo Akademi
Nina Tynkkynen, Åbo Akademi
Johan Malmberg, Åbo Akademi

2. Consumer cultures and how they can be seen from the
perspective of food packaging
Definitions of consumer culture:
- A culture where people define their and others' identities according
to their consumption
AND/ OR
- A culture where social status, values and activities are formed around
consumption
Why ethnographic research is needed ?
• In order to define how identities are molded by the commodities market – and on the other
hand how these identitites mold our comsumption habits, it is important to look behind the
statistics and analyse qualitative data.
• From the food packaging point of view: how big is the role of food packaging in consuming
choices? Which functions of food packaging prove to be the most important ones in the
everyday lives of the consumer?

3. Delivery culture
The culture and future direction of food packaging
Industrial
food packaging
1800 1950 1970 1980 2010 2020 2050
Plastic
packaging
Single use and throw-
away culture
Mainstream fast food
Takeaway
culture
Less burden for the consumer
All the packaging is standardized
and there is no more choice for the
consumer
Mandatory sorting and
recycling Sorting and recycling is
compulsory for households /
individuals / home owners
An extensive transformation
of the food system Food system
is based on local food and rapid
circulation
Possible futures for 2050:
The culture of
plastic packaging
is quite young.
Only few
generations have
lived with plastics
and even less
with single use
packaging.Who
knows what the
future brings
?
Kuvat: Jenni Viitanen/Kaskas

4. The era of throw-away society, single-use plastic
packaging and supermarkets
• Innovations play an important role when
consumer cultures change drastically.
e.g. Refrigerator, Freezer, Microwave
ovens...
• Social structures are also important e.g.
Urbanization and the increase of single
house holds
• Where is the market? - supermarket vs.
Local shops vs. Market square
• Heterogenious selection
• People make choices based on their
consumer identity but also based on
their everydaylife practices

5. How do people make choices?
Consumer panel:
- 55 participants
- Since Spring 2021
- 19 weekly tasks so far
A survey (about consuming food
packaging during the pandemic
- 399 answers (342 finished)
- Women 82%
- Men 15%
- Other/did not want to say 3%

6. What is a good packaging like?
It protects the product and is easy
to recycle
it is easy to open and
close
A package that is made of
only one material – the
ones that you have to take
the sleeve or the lid off and
put it in a different bin just
does not work
The dosing must
be easy
Sorting instructions
should be visible and
clear
The deposit system
works: metal cans are
made of only one
material you can recycle
them easily and get your
deposit back.
Kuvat: Annika Silvennoinen /VTT

7. Power and responsibility
• During our research we noticed that different stakeholder viewed their role in transition towards sustainable food packaging
differently and the role of the consumers was somewhat emphasised.
• Article: ”Sonck-Rautio, Kirsi et al. 2022: ”Power and responsibility in transition to sustainable food packaging in Pal, Viktor (ed.)
Social and Cultural Aspects of the Circular Economy: Toward Solidarity and Inclusivity , Routledge
Stakeholder Power Responsibility
Ministries To create the preconditions for sustainable food packaging
industry and consumption - regulations and legislation To
fund innovations.
Facilitate transformation and produce accurate knoweldge of
sustainability
Businesses To create and promoting a sustainable market -although
sustainable innovations are needed from other fields of
industry
To educate and inform the consumer of their products
NGOs To educate consumers and influence policy-makers and
industry
Educating the consumers but also mediator between
consumers and other stakeholders and to secure consumer
interest in transition
Consumers As a group: power through choices and through societal
discussion
As individuals: to sort and recycle - but not the infrastucture
Not enough knowledge of sustainability attributes to
have power
As they perceived to have little power as individual, they have
little responsibilities - recycling being the exception
Knowledge is power and power is responsibility -

8. How do you assess the sustainability of the
package?

9. What are the constrains and barriers for sorting and
recycling?

10. Understanding the recycling signs

11. Take away – era
Kuvat: Jenni Viitanen/Kaskas

12. 2020s: Take away – era
https://agilepublishing.fi/artikkelit/article
-13

13. Jos olen ostanut noutoruokaa, olen ollut tyytyväinen
siihen, miten ruoka on pakattu (Kyllä/Ei)
• 46 % nimesi muovin ja 40 % suuren pakkausjätemäärän tyytymättömyytensä syyksi.
• 26 % heistä korosti erikseen muovijätteen määrää ja 12 % styroksia.
• 10 % ei ollut ollut tyytyväisiä ruuan laatuun, ulkonäköön tai
makuun.
• 8 % kritisoi pakkausmateriaalia, yhtä moni pakkauksen vuotamista.
26%
74%
Ei Kyllä

14. Panelists’ thoughts on take away – packages
On tullut ehdottomasti tilattua
paljon enemmän kuin
aikaisemmin ruokaa kotiin.
Pakkauksissa on huomannut eron
aikaan ennen pandemiaa, tuntuu
että moni ravintola on panostanut
pakkauksiinsa
Moni ravintola edelleen
toimittaa
styroksipakkauksissa
minkä vuoksi en enää
tilaa sieltä.
Kompostoituvat astiat
ovat hyviä mutta toki
täyttävät bioastian
nopeasti.
Usein ärsyttää jos
pakkauksia on
liikaa, eli jos ruoan
olisi voinut pakata
tiiviimmin.
toivoisin että pakkauksissa olisi selkeät
merkinnät kierrätystä varten (---) usein
saattavat olla kompostoituva mutta jos
niissä ei lue, mistä tiedän mihin lajitella
ne?
On toisaalta mukavaa, että
ruoat pakataan usein
kompostoituviin astioihin
mutta astiat ovat (---) niin
hajoavia, että lämpimät
nesteen tulevat kassin
pohjalle ennen kuin ehdin
kotiin asti. Niissä siis olisi
vielä paljon kehitettävää.
Ravintoloiden kannattaisi
mainostaa asiakkaille, että
take away -ruokia voi myös
hakea omiin astioihin. Näin ei
tulisi minkäänlaista jätettä,
kun käytettäisiin omia
astioita."
Ruoan verkkokaupat
toimittaa ruuat valtavissa
pahvilaatikoissa ja meillä
päin pahvin
kierrätysastiat ovat
jatkuvasti täynnä ja paikat
sotkuisia.

15. Kiitos! Thank
you!