Do Customers Love Sustainable Packaging? It's Complicated

If you are running a small business, you might assume your customers are desperate to buy products in sustainable packaging.

You’d be right.

73% of consumers are theoretically ready to make changes to their consumption habits. It turns out theoretically is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. Customers will commit to change but not at the expense of their own:

• Money 

• Wellbeing 

• Lifestyle 

Customers absolutely want to do their part to save the planet, but they don’t want to suffer to do it.

Furthermore, if you’re active on social media you might have noticed an uprising in customers questioning why they should have to make changes when - they believe – corporations and businesses are the ones responsible for the environmental disaster looming ahead of us. In the wake of the California fires, users online were quick to question whether the rich homeowners were somehow to blame. Celebrities such as the Kardashians were called out for vastly exceeding the required water limits for the area. 

The bottom line here is clear. Customers are becoming more irritable about brands demanding they make changes in their life as millionaires billionaires use private jets to travel across the world and attend climate conferences. To the general public, the hypocrisy is becoming glaringly apparent.

But how does this impact individuals running small businesses? Believe it or not, it ties directly to your packaging decisions.

To understand why, let’s explore an infamous design for packaging sustainability that customers aren’t pleased with at all.

The Dreaded Tethered Cap

If you buy a plastic bottle today, you’ll most likely find the cap is attached with a plastic tether. The logic behind this is simple. If the cap is attached it will remain with the bottle when it's recycled. It won’t get lost and added to the tonnes of waste that ends up in landfills, filling our oceans and ending up on our shores.

Unfortunately, customers aren’t thrilled with this change with 70.7% claiming they don’t like the tethered caps while only 32% claim they support a legal mandate for this design.

Worse still , the vast majority of consumers surveyed did not believe that the change would have a significant impact on environmental litter.

Why aren’t customers on board with the design? Based on social media posts, minimal levels of discomfort. The cap gets in the way when people are drinking and can be irritating with some even claiming it could be a safety hazard.

But the issue isn’t the level of discomfort or the severity of the issue. Rather, customers feel they  are being forced to accept changes which make their life worse, while the rich continue with their lifestyles as normal. Their perception is that businesses simply aren’t pulling their weight.

In another survey 62% of consumers declared corporations as the ones most responsible for climate change and individuals the least.

You might think if you run a small business, you won’t be seen in the same light as the bigger players on the market. This could be true, but even so the right sustainable choices will help you stand out on the market and surpass major competitors. 

Customers do know that their decisions impact the environment and they do want businesses to go green. It’s just a case of ensuring that you are making this the best choice.

So how do you do this when selecting packaging for your products.? 

Quality Assured

There’s no excuse for sustainable packaging that does not meet the right quality standards. Sustainable packaging should have the right:

• Sealability 

• Appeal 

• Strength

• Accessibility 

If the quality isn’t there it will reflect poorly on your product and your brand as a whole. Contrary to age old advice, customers do judge a book by the cover. If the packaging is poor, they will immediately make a snap judgement about what you’re selling.

No Empty Promises

The biggest pitfall is selecting packaging which seems sustainable on paper but in reality has issues underneath the surface. Make sure that you complete research regarding the different types of materials and their sustainability grades. Heavier packaging like glass can seem eco-friendly but due to its weight will increase levels of carbon emissions during the transportation process.

Avoid Impracticality

The biggest issue with the plastic tethers on bottles is that they’re impractical. They get in the way when drinking and experts agree, this issue should have been designed out during the early stages. Ensure that your packaging is easy to open and access without discomfort, while still provides the right, tight seal.

Guarantee Accessibility

Credit where credit’s due, the plastic tethers were successful in some areas. Individuals with dyspraxia and blindness both found this design helpful as they could avoid losing the lids of their bottles. That said, there is an argument here to design for the minority without disregarding the majority. In other words, with the right design, packaging can be accessible and user-friendly for the general consumer.

Ensure Beauty

Your packaging is part of the product. It can be the difference between a missed sale and a big win. Sustainable packaging doesn’t have to be ugly or an eyesore on shop shelves. Instead, it can be bold and beautiful with a stunning design that your customers adore.

Avoid High Costs

Finally, customers will pay more for sustainability. But there’s a limit. On average, customers will pay 10% extra for a green product. Anything above this and they might start looking elsewhere. As such, choose green packaging but only when it's available at the right price and the right quality standard.

The bottom line : For businesses it is not about simply choosing any sustainable packaging but the right sustainable packaging. If your choice does match the requirements and expectations of even the most eco-conscious customer, they could avoid your product completely.