Almost half of British shoppers would like to see labelling on products in retail and grocery stories identifying that plastic-free packaging is marked accordingly, according research from compostable packaging company TIPA.
When asked about flexible plastic packaging, used for many single-use products which are mostly non-recyclable, more than half (54%) of British shoppers say they check labelling before throwing these items in the regular refuse bin.
However, confusion still exists in certain quarters as over 1 in 5 consumers (21%) admit to throwing flexible packaging in the recycling bin because they didn’t know it wasn’t eligible for recycling.
While the introduction of clearer labelling to show which packaging does and does not contain plastic will help inspire consumer confidence that they and their chosen brands are acting responsibly with plastic, others would like to see this go further.
Nearly 4 in 10 consumers (39%) think retailers should be made to have a ‘plastic-free’ aisle in every store. Over a quarter (29%) go even further and think every retail store should be completely ‘plastic-free’.
When considering the use of compostable packaging formats, almost half (46%) of UK consumers say they think compostable packaging is under-utilised by brands.
Likewise, nearly half (49%) of shoppers would welcome the introduction of labelling to identify that packaging is compostable.
“It’s great to see that public yearning is driving the service industry to rethink its relationship with flexible plastic packaging, which is often non-recyclable,” said TIPA CEO Daphna Nissenbaum.
She added: “The majority of people just want to do the right thing in a way that fits their busy lives. It is therefore incumbent on stakeholders in retail, groceries and the wider supply chain to clearly demarcate which packaging is ‘plastic-free’ and which is suitable for recycling.
“By supporting consumers in this way, they will inspire greater brand trust among a public whose conscientiousness with plastic waste is only going to grow further in the future.”
