You may have seen cardboard boxes with extensive recycling symbols, reminding consumers to do their part. In fact, the timeless brown may have been replaced by a more vibrant green as a symbol of the company’s environmental commitment.
The company made these changes for two important reasons. The eco-friendly packaging market is lucrative because consumers like to support ethical companies. Second, countless organizations have sustainability metrics they need to hit in order to reduce waste. Changing packaging is one of the easiest ways to achieve this, so how does this impact buyers?
1. Impact on purchasing decisions
Voting with your dollar is a real phenomenon, with 85% of consumers willing to pay a 9.7% markup for greener, more ethical products. People will spend more if the product is packaged sustainably. This changes people’s mindset towards shopping bills and budgeting behaviour.
Wrapping it in eco-friendly packaging is an effective way to communicate the monetary and sustainable value of the item to your customers. Countless visual cues alter purchasing decisions based solely on packaging, including:
- Words like biodegradable, recyclable, compostable and sustainable
- Environmental certifications exist, such as Fair Trade or B Corp
- Materials used
- Percentage of packaging made from upcycled or recycled products
- Clear disposition message
Even something as inconsequential as color can change your mind. How many times do people unintentionally associate green with sustainability? Packaging can also influence purchasing decisions in this way.
2. Increased preference for sustainable brands
All consumers, households and travelers need easy recycling options. You’ll eventually become familiar with specific, easy-to-use go-to brands. Suddenly, businesses no longer considered putting their items in packaging destined for landfills.
This means customers become loyal to the brand faster. More companies choose unsustainable packaging over others, which means less decision fatigue. The simplicity of choice can keep consumers more focused than ever. The likelihood of becoming a repeat customer has also skyrocketed. The impact of this behavior extends far beyond simple shopping.
3. Perception of brand credibility
Consider how people who try environmentalism would make different vacation decisions. They may choose accommodation based on how the hotel packages food, coffee and shower products. If the item is disposable or plastic, it’s easy to look for other places nearby that have a stronger sustainability commitment.
People associate environmentally friendly packaging with responsible business choices. For example, supermarkets might place greener products at eye level on their shelves. That could change perceptions of the grocer’s climate ethics.
Tactics like this are strategic for attracting buyers with a specific packaging brand. Consumers must always be vigilant when shopping to ensure sellers are not manipulating them. It doesn’t matter if you trust a brand because of its eco-friendly packaging. All purchasing decisions should be made by you and not driven by a third party.
4. Reduce carbon footprint
The shift to sustainable packaging within an organization may be driven by overall environmental goals. Sustainable packaging may be a gateway to other measures to reduce your carbon footprint. Without a product as a catalyst, buyers may never have considered their food or cosmetic waste footprint. Increased awareness will lead to separate decarbonization targets being set, opening the door to greater advocacy.
Companies may even advertise how the materials they used previously harmed the planet. They do this to highlight improvements and urge customers to learn more. The healthcare industry is famous for its use of polystyrene, a versatile plastic, but it has a high carbon footprint. It pollutes the oceans, but progress suggests new packaging alternatives will eliminate 60,000 polystyrene boxes from the environment.
5. Shift to sustainable travel practices
The desire for sustainable packaging has changed how consumers buy, but also what people don’t buy. Businesses need to be firmly aware of these trends, just as they need to know what will change their customers.
As suggested, the availability of sustainably packaged products may influence someone’s destination. It has also changed consumers’ travel habits. The sustainable packaging revolution could prevent individuals from purchasing single-use drinks at the gas station before traveling. They will bring reusable bags and coffee cups. Maybe they will stop supporting travel-sized toiletries because there are fewer wasteful packaging options.
6. Encourage reuse and recycling
Sustainable packaging only makes sense if consumers properly dispose of it at the end of its life cycle. If these materials are clearly environmentally friendly, recycling or reuse can be promoted. If the packaging included clear instructions on what to do with it after use, it might inspire more sustainability campaigns. Toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap uses recycled materials and eco-friendly bamboo to produce its products.
The company knows that every second a buyer interacts with an item is a marketing opportunity, which sounds like it just wants to make a profit. It wants consumers to spend time with the packaging because it highlights the possibility of reuse. Some boxes are recommended for use as cat houses. You can use their beautiful packaging as gift paper. It even slaps QR codes on empty paper rolls to engage bathroom crowds with jokes and facts.
7. Engaged customers and companies
Customers will be exposed to more environmental topics and conversations because of the packaging. This will lead to buyers educating their peers when they are curious about sustainable themes. Ultimately, this can translate into education for the brand itself.
Expressing dissatisfaction with a company on social media or in comments is more common than ever. It’s equally common for companies to be caught doing “greenwashing.” When a company advertises what it’s doing for the planet, consumers discover it’s hiding the truth. Enthusiastic consumers will speak out and tell companies that people want better development in the environmentally friendly packaging market.
Environmentally friendly packaging market and its chain reaction
Sustainable packaging leads to a huge shift in buyers. It makes them develop environmentally conscious habits, spend money differently and hold companies accountable. As more companies commit to reducing their carbon footprint, the eco-friendly packaging market will only grow. It may take time for everyone to adopt better practices, or go one step further and go packaging-free. However, this trend is positive as everyone learns how to use materials better and reduce waste.
