Consumers Respond to Industry Initiatives to Reduce Packaging

Over recent years food manufacturers have made significant efforts to reduce the amount of packaging around products where this can be done without compromising its vitally important protective role, and it appears that consumers are beginning to notice the change.

2 Apr 2012 --- Half of the respondents to a consumer survey have registered a reduction in food packaging according to research by the Food and Drink Federation.

Over recent years food manufacturers have made significant efforts to reduce the amount of packaging around products where this can be done without compromising its vitally important protective role, and it appears that consumers are beginning to notice the change.

The survey also looked at consumer's awareness of recyclable packaging with two thirds of respondents claiming to have noticed manufacturers using packaging which can be recycled, reused or biodegraded.

These encouraging findings build on FDF's Five-fold Ambition target to make a significant contribution to WRAP's Courtauld 2 target of reducing the carbon impact of packaging by 10% by 2012 against a 2009 baseline.

FDF Director of Sustainability and Competitiveness Andrew Kuyk said:

“The Courtauld Commitment is a key part to FDF's five-fold environmental ambition, and we are delighted to see that consumers are noticing the changes food and drink manufacturers are making to packaging”.

“Following WRAP's progress report showing that there has been a reduction of 5.1% in packaging over the period 2009-10 this is further evidence that the industry is making steady progress towards the 10% target by the end of 2012”.

Source: Food and Drink Federation