POLL DISCOVERS UK CONSUMERS PREFER PAPER TO PLASTIC PACKAGING

In a nationwide poll commissioned by the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), over half (57%) of people surveyed said they preferred to purchase food and drinks packaging in recyclable paper-based material, while just 8% preferred plastic.

Those surveyed were also asked how likely they were to purchase a product using paper-based containers as opposed to plastic. With 46% saying that they were more likely to purchase an item if the packaging was paper-based.

As a leading manufacturer of paper cup products, Benders Paper Cups welcomes these findings as a huge step in the right direction for the consumables industry, providing substantial proof that the packaging materials used by food retailers and supermarkets play an instrumental role in consumer perception of a product.

IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE SOURCING AND CERTIFICATION

The results from the CPI’s poll underline findings from the PEFC’s (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) first global consumer survey, undertaken on behalf of PEFC International.

The survey, of 13,000 people in 13 different countries, showed that certification labels, such as the PEFC label, are one of consumers’ most trusted ways to determine whether paper-based products are sustainably sourced. More than 80% of those surveyed indicated that they wanted companies sourcing certified material from sustainably-managed forests to use certification labels.

Consumers across the globe believe that it’s important to make ethical purchasing decisions with regards to packaging, with an overwhelming 60% saying that their choice to shop for labelled products makes a positive difference to the world’s forests.

 

SO, WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS ACTUALLY MEAN FOR COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY?

Now that it has been proven that paper-based packaging materials have a positive effect on consumers’ purchasing decisions, it is clearer than ever that companies’ environmental positioning should be a core packaging (and indeed, general marketing) consideration.

Benders Paper Cups can proudly demonstrate the highest quality standards and environmental credentials across our product range, and the source of the raw material we use is an integral part of this. All of our cups are manufactured in the UK in our BRC A-Grade factory, using paperboard from PEFC-accredited, sustainably managed forests. Every cup comes with full Chain of Custody accreditation and can be traced back to the forest where it was originally harvested.

Benders Paper Cups are committed to facilitating growth in the packaging industry. We recognise our duty of care to our customers, and our customers’ customers, to provide a stringent level of quality.

The responsibility falls on UK packaging and disposables manufacturers to promote our environmental credentials to foodservice retailers and end consumers, as it’s only with this level of transparency can we can offer the promise of quality that consumers are now proven to be much more likely to engage with.

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About the Author

Allan Patterson BSc
Technical Manager- Benders Paper Cups
BSc Product Design- Edinburgh Napier University
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