Sustainable packaging a ‘growth opportunity’ for food and consumer goods industry says IGD

23-Dec-2021 - Last updated on 23-Dec-2021 at 11:01 GMT

Image: Getty/Tom Werner

Over 40% of consumers have already adopted reusable grocery packaging and are ‘thinking about’ using reusable packaging reveals new consumer research from the UK-based group which aims to give suppliers and retailers insight into consumer attitudes towards refill and return packaging solutions.

Its latest research aims to help the food and consumer goods industry to include sustainable packaging into their strategies, it said, adding the findings highlight the opportunity for the industry to ‘take ownership and drive usage of this type of packaging’.

Of the 2,000 UK consumers surveyed for the report, 41% have already adopted reusable grocery packaging in a bid to reduce their environmental impact. A further 42% are ‘thinking about’ using reusable packaging.

Separate IGD ShopperVista research has found that 41% of shoppers have reduced or stopped using single-use plastic and 63% consider reusable or recycled packaging to be ‘very important’ to them when choosing grocery products. It also indicates that shoppers believe that brands have a responsibility to provide reusable and refillable packaging options – 78% of shoppers think more big brands should offer the ability to refill their packaging.

‘Building consumer familiarity is critical for long-term success’

The insights highlight that industry will need to provide consumers with solutions and the tools to overcome barriers to adopting refill and on-the-go solutions, said IGD.

“Delivering sustainable packaging systems is a critical industry issue,” said IGD CEO Susan Barratt. “Collectively, we are working on solutions to meet our shared ambition to halve the environmental impact of all packaging and accelerate our industry’s progress towards Net Zero. Reducing the need for single-use packaging through reusables is a vital part of the solution.

“This report is the first phase of our work, which will continue in 2022 with the launch of a roadmap to deliver our ambition. Collective action is needed now, across our industry, to help consumers adopt refill and return packaging. We want industry to join us in driving tangible, positive change on this critical issue.”