5 Key Takeaways from 10 Years of Paper, Packaging and Progress

When I joined the Paper and Packaging Board in 2014, manufacturers and importers of paper? were eager to get our industry’s own consumer campaign up and running. ?We had all heard about the successes of other “checkoff” programs like “Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner,” “The Incredible Edible Egg” and “Cotton – the Fabric of our Lives.”?Finally, it was our turn to make advertising history telling our story at scale the way we wanted and with impact and consistency. Here are five reasons this program is more important than ever:

1. Consumers see climate change and urbanization as the biggest threats to forests -- not paper companies.?

Increasingly, consumers are more likely to talk about paper companies’ dedication to both forest growth and forest preservation. This progress didn’t happen by accident. Consumers' recognition that paper is a renewable, plant-based resource has increased 16 points since the start of the campaign from 44% to 60% agreeing with this statement.

?2. P+PB’s consumer campaign is amplifying paper companies’ commitments to renew, preserve and protect forests with efforts that go beyond tree planting.?

This matters because what consumers think influences your customers. Consumers are the gatekeepers of many brands and their perceptions are critical to how your customers feel about using paper products.

3. Reaching younger consumers today is vital to future perceptions of paper.

Research from the respected medical journal,?The Lancet, among 10,000 young people around the globe revealed they are extremely worried about the impact of climate change, leading to a phenomenon called “climate anxiety.” Educating and reassuring younger consumers about the paper industry’s commitment to recycling, forest preservation and climate change solutions is needed to positively shape their attitudes about paper and the industry for years to come.

4. Ecommerce will put more and more boxes on consumers doorsteps -- they need to be motivated to recycle them. Online sales are predicted to rise from 16.2% of all retail sales in 2024 to 20.0% by 2028, according to EMARKETER. Therefore, we need continued consumer education to persuade them to break down and recycle shipping boxes. Fortunately, we have created a recycling reminder that is effective at motivating consumers to recycle, especially when placed on an inside minor flap of the boxtop where consumers will see it. Adding this mark makes your customers look good to their customers.

5. The menace of plastics is our opportunity. We don’t just track attitudes about the paper industry--we also track consumers’ attitudes, perceptions and even preference for plastic packaging. Our data shows preference for plastics is at an all time low. ?The complexity of plastic recycling and lack of biodegradability is the plastic industry’s Achilles heel, and it helps us shine a light on paper’s contrasting virtues and papertarian lifestyle. But with three different plastics ad campaigns in the market today, our natural fiber story needs to be told loudly. ???

Winning over consumers’ hearts and minds has been at the core of everything we have done these last ten years. Sustainability has never been more important and telling our unrivaled story from the stewardship of our forests to our investments in recycling will best be told by us.

#GoPapetarian!