Tetra Pak survey reveals demand for environmental labeling

A new survey by food packaging and processing company Tetra Pak highlights a rising demand for renewable materials and environmental labeling among consumers worldwide.

The report – the fifth in a series of annual surveys conducted by the company – also shows that recycling remains a fundamental expectation of consumers and food industry stakeholders.

“This year’s survey sees a significant rise in the attitude towards renewable materials among food industry stakeholders, driven by the recent development of new technologies,” the report said. “They rank the use of bio-based materials as one of the most important environmental trends shaping the future of beverage packaging.”

Meanwhile, consumers continue to rate carton the most environmentally friendly packaging type, the report continued, due to the use of paper as a renewable material, and more than 50 per cent of them believe that the use of bio-based plastic will further improve the environmental performance of carton packaging.

The report also identifies a growing consumer demand for more environmental information. “In order to make informed choices, 37 per cent of consumers regularly search for environmental logos on food packaging. 54 per cent of consumers trust environmental labels, compared with 37 per cent in 2011,” the report said. “The ability to recycle packaging material is regarded as a top priority among food industry stakeholders when developing a product or a service.”