TY - JOUR
T1 - Company views of consumers regarding sustainable packaging
AU - Herbes, Carsten
AU - Mielinger, Ellen
AU - Krauter, Victoria
AU - Arranz, Elena
AU - Hurtado, Rosa María Cámara
AU - Marcos, Begonya
AU - Poças, Fátima
AU - Maya, Salvador Ruiz de
AU - Weinrich, Ramona
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - In the transition towards more sustainable food packaging, food companies play a key role: they decide what type of packaging to use in their production. Past research posits that corporate decision making on sustainable packaging is driven by perceived consumer demand, making it important to understand how companies see consumers, a topic largely neglected in the literature. Our study aims at uncovering how food packaging professionals see consumer demand for sustainable packaging. We performed qualitative interviews with packaging professionals from food companies in Germany, Austria, Spain, and Portugal; we then performed qualitative content analysis on the responses. The results show that half of our interviewees think that sustainability in packaging does not matter to consumers. Further, pertaining to the packaging life cycle, packaging professionals believe that consumers pay more attention to attributes related to raw materials, i.e. the beginning of the packaging life cycle, preferring paper and rejecting plastics. Interviewees demonstrate scant awareness of consumer research which shows that bio-based materials, biodegradability and recycled materials matter to consumers. Our interviewees frequently criticized consumers, presenting what we identify as narratives of disempowerment whereby responsibility for sustainable packaging is not theirs. First, they perceive consumers as an obstacle. Second, they describe their own position as not very powerful vis-à-vis packaging manufacturers and retailers. And third, they are often unsure about consumer attitudes, knowledge or behavior. This assignment of responsibility for packaging decisions to retailers and consumers emerges as a strong barrier to the expansion of sustainable packaging. Analyzing the perceptions that companies have of consumers may help in better aligning consumer attitudes and behaviors and company strategies for sustainable packaging.
AB - In the transition towards more sustainable food packaging, food companies play a key role: they decide what type of packaging to use in their production. Past research posits that corporate decision making on sustainable packaging is driven by perceived consumer demand, making it important to understand how companies see consumers, a topic largely neglected in the literature. Our study aims at uncovering how food packaging professionals see consumer demand for sustainable packaging. We performed qualitative interviews with packaging professionals from food companies in Germany, Austria, Spain, and Portugal; we then performed qualitative content analysis on the responses. The results show that half of our interviewees think that sustainability in packaging does not matter to consumers. Further, pertaining to the packaging life cycle, packaging professionals believe that consumers pay more attention to attributes related to raw materials, i.e. the beginning of the packaging life cycle, preferring paper and rejecting plastics. Interviewees demonstrate scant awareness of consumer research which shows that bio-based materials, biodegradability and recycled materials matter to consumers. Our interviewees frequently criticized consumers, presenting what we identify as narratives of disempowerment whereby responsibility for sustainable packaging is not theirs. First, they perceive consumers as an obstacle. Second, they describe their own position as not very powerful vis-à-vis packaging manufacturers and retailers. And third, they are often unsure about consumer attitudes, knowledge or behavior. This assignment of responsibility for packaging decisions to retailers and consumers emerges as a strong barrier to the expansion of sustainable packaging. Analyzing the perceptions that companies have of consumers may help in better aligning consumer attitudes and behaviors and company strategies for sustainable packaging.
KW - Circular economy
KW - Consumer
KW - Environmental packaging design
KW - Packaging professional
KW - Qualitative interview
KW - Sustainable food packaging
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208147687&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.018
DO - 10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.018
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85208147687
SN - 2352-5509
VL - 52
SP - 136
EP - 150
JO - Sustainable Production and Consumption
JF - Sustainable Production and Consumption
ER -