Who Is Most Affected by False Sustainability Perceptions?

Reducing the amount of plastic packaging is one of the biggest issues those of us focused on sustainability are concerned about.

According to a study published in the?Journal of Consumer Research,* plastic waste now makes up 10 percent of the landfill waste in the United States.

While most consumers want to make environmentally responsible choices when selecting products, this study found - surprisingly - that consumers perceive additional plastic and paper in packaging as?more?environmentally friendly. (Italics added.)

?Adding to the surprise, this false perception is especially true of consumers “vilified” with the use of plastic, paper, and most packaging materials. Aware of this false perception, many companies that have invested heavily in reducing their use of plastic and other packaging material have started to reverse course.

?“More and more brands have begun adding superfluous paper packaging on top of plastic packaging to make their products look more environmentally friendly, without actually reducing plastic waste,” according to the report.

?The study gives two examples:

1.??? Some skincare products from Nivea are available without packaging. The products can be purchased in a plastic bottle. However, the company is now selling more of these products in paper boxes, adding additional plastic inside to cover the bottle.

2.??? Sensodyne toothpaste is doing the same thing. While their products are available in traditional plastic toothpaste containers, the company now puts more of these plastic containers inside paper boxes with additional plastic packaging inside.

These studies also reveal another troubling pattern: now some companies are deliberately using these questionable packaging methods because they are proving effective at marketing products.

They cite research involving more than 4,000 participants from the U.S., the U.K., and the Netherlands. These findings show that consumers perceive a product's packaging as more eco-friendly if it has an extra layer of paper.

Another research finding shows that consumers are willing to pay an average of 15 percent more for a granola bar - which is already wrapped in plastic - if it is sold in additional paper packaging.? This practice is known as "over-packaging." It affects all types of products, including food.

Just to see how far this perception goes, in yet another experiment, consumers were asked to imagine purchasing cherry tomatoes. Some of the imaginary tomatoes were wrapped in paper?and plastic; the others were not. ?In this case, the scientists reported:

We found that their perceptions of environmental friendliness increased in step with the amount of paper used. (bold added)?

Once again - more paper plus more plastic is perceived as more environmentally responsible, resulting in more sales.

Fortunately, after reporting their unexpected findings, the academics offered a straightforward solution. They noted that simply adding a “minimal packaging” sticker or label on products can correct this misperception and encourage sustainability-focused consumers not to select overpackaged products.

My recommendation goes one step further. Producers must boldly print labels on packaging indicating they are taking significant efforts to reduce plastic and paper waste.

Bold statements get noticed. This first step will help consumers make more informed, sustainability focused, purchasing decisions.

Steve Ashkin is president of the Ashkin Group, a consulting firm specializing in Green Cleaning and sustainability. Steve is recognized as one of the one hundred most important contributors to the professional cleaning industry in ISSA’s 100-year history.

To contact Steve, click here:?????

Source for key information:

* Tatiana Sokolova, Aradhna Krishna, Tim D?ring. Paper Meets Plastic: The Perceived Environmental Friendliness of Product Packaging,?Journal of Consumer Research, Volume 50, Issue 3, October 2023, Pages 468–491,?https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucad008