While it’s the intrinsic contents or use of a product that
determines a purchase, consumers within the World of Sustainability
(who make up 88% of our population) view sustainable packaging options
as “simple” measures that all manufacturers can take. It's
a minimum requirement for all products, even if the products themselves
don’t resonate as sustainable. As consumers become increasingly engaged
with sustainability behaviors and the social life of products,
earth-friendly packaging is the first price of entry for manufacturers
attempting to create a more environmentally responsible halo.
Packaging
enhancements also present unique opportunities to surprise and delight
consumers lulled into low expectations by commoditized sizes, shapes
and designs. Ecolean, a packaging alternative dubbed as "A Lighter Approach to Packaging," seems to do just that with its innovative, "Wow" design and modern approach.
Via The Dieline
"Lightweight
packaging is our answer to the demands of the liquid food industry and
consumers asking for modern and clever packages. By using a minimal
amount of raw material we create a lightweight package which combines
low environmental impact with consumer convenience. Saving resources is
saving the environment. That is why lightweight packaging has become a
heavyweight argument."
Ecolect writes, "Ecolean bag weighs 40-45% less than a carton package and 60-65% less
than a plastic bottle of the same size. Even if the mixed material is
not really good for recycling, the packages could be remanufactured as
mixed plastics and used for products such as pallets, trays, or
artificial wood."
But, how does Ecolean fare in the eyes of the consumer? Since awareness of packaging is so personally tied to the daily lives
of consumers in terms of use and disposal, it follows that individuals
understand sustainable packaging primarily in terms of its back-end
environmental impacts (what happens to the packaging after they use the
product at home). Front-end issues, such as energy used in production,
are much less understood. For example, a discussion about energy savings
gained through use of aseptic packaging, like Ecolean, is unknown to most
sustainability consumers. Because front-end issues are largely invisible to consumers, when asked about preferred packaging characteristics of the products
they buy, back-end issues, such as recyclability and being
biodegradable are of greater importance, followed by attributes such as
reusability and compostability. Though, when digging deeper, many of the issues of biodegradability and compostability fall further along the adoption pathway in the World of Sustainability.
Below are 6 attributes of sustainable packaging and how they resonate with today's consumers:
- Recyclable: Packaging made from paper, glass, metals, and
plastic that can be recycled by consumers through conventional
(curb-side) recycling are preferred.
- Minimal packaging: Packaging that features less head space, fewer layers, and less content
- Made from recycled materials: Products made from recycled materials go one step further than simply being recyclable.
- Re-useable: Items that can be repurposed connect to environmental sustainability pathways through notions of decreased waste.
- Biodegradable: While many consumers do not understand
the technical aspects of biodegradation, they have vague notions that
certain “things take a long time to break down.” Most consumers
consider plastic materials the worst offender because they perceive
them as never fully degrading.
- Compostable: As composting is an activity further along the adoption pathway in the World of Sustainability,
most individuals are only vaguely aware of compostable packaging. Even
for consumers most intensely involved in the World who view compostable
packaging as the most sustainable option available, it is only “nice to
have” — a value-added attribute, and not a purchase driver.
