A new survey, commissioned by food packaging specialist iKrafts, revealed that food quality and value dominate consumer priorities when purchasing food products, leaving over 80% of Brits unwilling to pay more than 5% extra for sustainable packaging.
The main findings are as follows:
- 47.51% of respondents won’t pay anything extra for sustainable packaging;
- 80.45% of respondents won’t pay more than 5% extra for sustainable packaging;
- Only 6.04% respondents would pay 10%+ extra for sustainable packaging;
- 44.36% of respondents rank food quality as the top priority when purchasing food;
- 37.93% of respondents rank Price/Value as the top priority when purchasing food;
- Only 8.53% rank Packaging sustainability as top priority when purchasing food.
The findings paint a challenging picture for businesses banking on consumer willingness to subsidise sustainability. A combined 80.45% of respondents said they would pay no more than 5% extra for sustainable packaging, while only 8.54% ranked it as their top priority when purchasing food.
“These outcomes send a clear message to the food industry surrounding consumer behaviour. It’s clear that customers care about sustainable packaging in principle, but they’re not willing to pay more for it and other factors will always come first when purchasing food,” said a spokesperson for iKrafts. “For food producers and restaurants, this means the responsibility for funding the shift to eco-friendly materials sits firmly with the brands themselves. This might entail absorbing costs, renegotiating supply chains, or investing in more affordable sustainable materials. But waiting for consumers to lead the charge is not a viable strategy if you want to improve the eco-friendliness of your products.”
