Packaging reduction high on green agenda

It is one aspect that is very tangible for everyone, as they can see how much packaging they throw away each week.

Nielsen research shows that two thirds of people would switch products in favour of an alternative that either had less packaging or was in recycled or recyclable packaging.

We have seen a wide range of initiatives to reduce packaging from both retailers and manufacturers:

• Reducing the materials used, as Grolsch has done with its lightweight bottle and Heinz with its lighter steel cans.

• Using recycled materials in packaging has increased and particularly drinks bottles using recycled PET as Coke has done with its Diet Coke bottles and Innocent with its 100% recycled plastic bottles, which are also lighter.

• Unilever has recently introduced the Rain Forest Alliance logo onto packs of PG Tips, following certification of its major Kenyan tea plantations for sustainable production.

A significant group of shoppers (1 in 5) are “Ethically Enthused”; these people are prepared to make changes to the products they buy and, if necessary, pay a premium in order to benefit the environment or to support ethical initiatives.

The shopping basket of the “Ethically Enthused” is biased towards organic foods, particularly fresh as they seek natural products that do not harm the environment.

Their baskets also include recycled toilet tissue, Ecover products and Fairtrade tea, coffee and bananas.

We can expect to see less packaging overall, more products in concentrated form, plus cleaning agents designed to work at lower temperatures.

What might be equally important is not necessarily the products that the ethically enthused shoppers choose to buy, but the products they choose to avoid due to their perceptions regarding either the product itself or the CSR credentials of the company that made it.

Consequently we can expect to see more communications focusing on these issues and more companies seeking ethical accreditation in a variety of forms.

Source: Checkout Nielsen Top 100 Brands 2008