According to a survey of nearly 3,400 Europeans, six in ten British consumers say they would now be willing to pay more for food products that contain less plastic packaging.
The finding comes from new research by packaging company DS Smith in its key markets of Belgium, Germany, Poland and the UK.
Polish consumers were by far the most willing to put packaging above cost (72 per cent), followed by Germans (63 per cent), Brits (60 per cent) and Belgians (54 per cent).
Nearly eight in ten British consumers considered packaging a major issue and 64 per cent said they recycled more packaging than they did five years ago. Exactly two thirds said they look for the presence of recycled materials in packaging when shopping for food.
Overall, plastic packaging was a concern for an average of seven in ten Europeans, while metal packaging and cartons were a concern for just 5 per cent and 1 per cent respectively.
Commenting on the survey findings, Chris Murray, managing director of DS Smith Packaging UK, said: “Excessive packaging and plastic packaging are a real worry for Europe’s consumers – so much so that they’re now willing to pay for less plastic in their packaging. Europeans have really upped their game and are sorting and recycling more than just five years ago. It’s also very encouraging that they rightly understand that carton packaging is of much less concern: it’s a sustainable packaging alternative to plastic, and hugely recyclable.
“For the sake of our planet we need to create a truly circular economy where packaging is reduced to the minimum necessary, and consumer goods packaging is increasingly made from and with recyclable and recycled materials like cardboard and carton.”