Bio-Based: The New Trend for Food-Packaging?

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Machiel Reinders, scientist at Wageningen Economic Research, confirms that consumers are positive about claims on biobased packaging such as ‘compostable’ and ‘recyclable’, which clearly indicate how to dispose of the packaging product. Within COMBO, his institute performed quantitative research among German and French consumers who indicated that they care about sustainability. “Our research shows that consumers prefer clear claims. Stating that products can be discarded with the organic waste is a good example. The more concrete the sustainability benefits, the better the packaging is evaluated.”

Sincere intentions matter

The German and French consumers were presented with three varieties of five packaging products: a traditional variety, a fully biobased variety and a variety in-between. Of the three varieties, the consumers indicated that they were most likely to purchase the fully biobased product. From the water bottle to the goat’s cheese in plastic packaging, the various varieties were not evaluated significantly differently from each other.

The awareness of packaging properties and the positive evaluation linked to them by consumers play an important role in the intention to buy products in biobased packaging. According to Reinders, a belief in the brand’s sincere intentions is also relevant.

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