05 | Barriers to change remain, but are evolving
As has long been the case, cost is cited by consumers as the biggest barrier to becoming more environmentally friendly, with 36% saying that environmentally sound products are more expensive/cost too much.
That said, this is significantly less than the figure for healthy products (48%). Moreover, our environmental research shows that price is now declining as an issue for products with environmentally sound packaging specifically: down from 46% in 2017 to 42% in 2019. Other Tetra Pak research also shows that 78% of consumers are now happy to pay more for products with environmentally sound packaging, while only 41% are willing to pay more for healthier food.
Such environmentally sound packaging also positively impacts brand consideration – and this is a growing trend. 53% of consumers today say that environmentally sound packaging makes them much more likely to consider a brand, up from 43% in 2017 and 39% in 2015.
However, while figures show that interest in environmentally sound products is growing, they show levels of frustration are rising too, notably around the lack of information on, or inability to distinguish, environmentally sound products. This underscores the importance of using on-package logos that consumers know they can trust: 91% of consumers say they look for environmental logos when shopping, with more than half (54%) saying they do so always or often. Again, this is a growing trend.
Case study: Flow (Canada & USA)
A family-owned business and an innovative player in the water market, Flow is leading the way in sustainable water packaging. After a 2015 trip to Burning Man left him eager to come up with an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic water bottles, founder and CEO Nicholas Reichenbach was inspired to create Flow.
Flow is an alkaline spring water product that contains naturally occurring essential minerals and electrolytes. The water is sourced in both the USA and Canada. The Canadian source in South Bruce County, Ontario is a family-owned artesian spring dating back five generations. Flow aims to promote individual wellness through their alkaline spring water, as well as environmental health through their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
Committed to sustainable business practices, Flow is a B Corp-certified company. Furthermore, Flow water is packaged in 500ml and 1000ml Tetra Prisma® Aseptic packages that are made from 68% renewable materials, featuring a plant-based cap made from renewable sugarcane, and FSCTM-certified paperboard. Each package is recyclable.
Read customer case: Flow® Alkaline Spring Water in Tetra Prisma® Aseptic
Read the next section: Plastic litter & circularity in the spotlight
