sustainability market research - welcome to mr.lewis' online project...

Sustainability Market Research

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Market Research Project - Sustainability

Background

We are all consumers in the world today, and in this world we are surrounded by packaging. Packaging for food. For toys. For dry goods, hardware, electronics, and nearly everything that we purchase to use and consume in our daily lives.

The vast majority of those items that we purchase come in a package of some sort. The package may be a box, a bag, a pouch, a plastic clamshell, a metal tin, or may be made from some other material or combination of materials.




Background

The package serves several key purposes. It protects the product through distribution; from manufacturing to warehousing to the retail shelf and to the consumer’s home.

It also provides key information for consumers, telling them what is in the package, and the features and benefits of the product. In this respect, the package is helping with the marketing and selling of the product.

Additionally, the package is tasked with getting noticed on the store shelf. There is a constant battle taking place between brands to win consumers’ attention and convince them to try, like, and ultimately become loyal to their brand.




Background

Eventually the consumer no longer needs the package. This may be immediately after removing the product, or after the product has been used and the package is empty. At this point, the consumer disposes of the package.

This occurs either by placing the empty package into the trash, where it eventually finds its way to a landfill, or by recycling the package, where it ultimately is processed and becomes new paperboard, plastic, glass or metal that can be used to make a new package or product.

The source of the material that the package is made from, and the ultimate fate of the package – landfill vs recycling – has become an issue of growing importance in recent years. It is commonly referred to as “Sustainability”.




Background

Sustainability Defined:

Dictionary.com: Environmental sustainability is the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.

UN World Commission on Environment and Development: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

UCLA Sustainability Committee: The physical development and institutional operating practices that meet the needs of present users without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, particularly with regard to use and waste of natural resources. Sustainable practices support ecological, human, and economic health and vitality. Sustainability presumes that resources are finite, and should be used conservatively and wisely with a view to long-term priorities and consequences of the ways in which resources are used.




Background

What is Sustainability:

Sustainability in the world of packaging refers most commonly to two aspects of the package.

1. Sustainable sourcing – Does the material used to make the package come from a renewable resource, or is it a resource that is limited and will at some point run out? And does the gathering and production of that material cause harm to the environment and the world in which we live? Also, how does the energy used to produce the package affect our environment and its limited natural resources?




Background

What is Sustainability:

Sustainability in the world of packaging refers most commonly to two aspects of the package.

2. Sustainable disposal – How is the package disposed of after its useful life? Is it recyclable? Can the material from which it is made be recycled? How is it recycled? Do the recycling resources available today offer a practical means to recycle it? If it is recyclable, do consumers actually recycle it? Because if they do not, then it still ultimately ends up in a landfill.




Background

Graphic Packaging International is a major producer of paper based packaging. We produce a product (paperboard packaging) that is both renewable (made from trees – a renewable resource) and recyclable (paper and paperboard are recycled in the US at among the highest rates of any packaging material.) Our customers – the companies that produce branded products – choose the packaging materials they use based on a number of factors, one of which is the opinions and perceptions of their customer – the consumer.




Objective of the Study

We are interested in learning more about sustainability and younger consumers. We would like to gain insights into how these consumers (age 16-30) view sustainability, particularly as it relates to packaging. How does it affect their opinions about brands and products, and their decision making process when making purchases? How important is sustainability as a factor in their purchase decision for different product categories?

By answering the following questions, we hope to gain valuable insight into consumers’ opinions and behaviors regarding sustainability in packaging, and regarding packaging materials.




Questions to be Answered

1. How do younger consumers (age 16-30) define Sustainability? What does the term mean to them and how does it relate to their lives on a daily basis?





2. Sustainability seems to be of growing importance to younger consumers. How do these consumers feel about sustainability and why is it important to them?





3. Do younger consumers understand the difference between “Recyclable” and “Recycled”? Do they have a sense of which materials are recyclable? Do they have sense of which types of packaging are most commonly recycled in the US today? How does recycling fit into their current lifestyles and habits?





4. Do younger consumers understand what “Renewable Resources” means? Do they know why this is an important concept in packaging today? Can they identify packaging that is made from renewable resources, and packaging that is not?





5. How does Sustainability factor into the purchasing decisions of younger consumers? Consumers buy a range of products for their consumption. They may be very brand loyal about some, and therefore tend to purchase the same brand every time. They may be more value driven about others, and will purchase whichever brand is priced best or that they perceive delivers the best value.

Along this spectrum of behavior, where and how does sustainability affect their purchase decision? And why? Further, if sustainability is important to these consumers, would they pay more for a product in a more sustainable package? How much more? (5%, 10%, 20%, etc…)





6. How do young consumers think about different packaging materials as they relate to sustainability? Consider paperboard, corrugated board, rigid plastic, flexible plastic, metal, and glass. Which do consumers perceive to be made from the most renewable resources? Which do consumers perceive to be the most recyclable? What role do these packaging materials play in their product purchase decision making?

Paperboard Corrugated RigidPlastic FlexiblePlastic Glass Metal





7. Relating to specific categories, how do younger consumers factor sustainability into their purchase decision process?

• Beverages – Spring or Filtered Water vs Flavored or Fizzy Water?• Spring/Filtered water tends to be packaged in shrink film• Flavored/Fizzy water tends to be packaged in cartons• Which is perceived to be more sustainable?• Which is percieved to be produced from renewable resources?• Which do consumers recycle at a higher rate?• How does the packaging affect their purchase decision?






• Cereal – Traditional Cereal vs Granola-type Cereals• Traditional cereals tend to be packaged in a carton (box) with a

flexible (plastic) bag inside.• Granola-type cereals tend to be packaged in plastic stand-up

pouches with zipper style reclose features.• Which is perceived to be more “sustainable”• Which is perceived to be produced from renewable resources?• Which do consumers recycle at a higher rate?• Does sustainability factor into the decision of which to purchase?

If so, how?






• Snacks – Cookies, Crackers, Candy, Trail Mix, etc….• These products tend to be packaged in either a carton with a bag inside,

or a flexible pouch – sometimes with a zipper style reclose feature.• Which packages do consumers feel better meet their needs? (Storage,

portability, open/dispense/reclose, etc…)• Which is perceived to be more “sustainable”• Which is percieved to be produced from renewable resources?• Which do consumers recycle at a higher rate?• Does sustainability factor into the decision of which to purchase?

If so, how?





10. Increasingly, consumer product packaging incorporates messaging and symbols relating to recycling and recyclability. Some of those symbols are shown to the right. Do younger consumers understand what these symbols and messages mean? How important are they to consumers? To what extent do they play a role in the purchase decision process? Example: If there are two similar products at similar prices, is the consumer more likely to purchase the one that incorporates some of these symbols and messaging? Why? How do they make that decision?





11. Increasingly, brand packaging incorporates messaging and symbols relating to sustainability. Some of those symbols are shown to the right. Do younger consumers understand what these symbols and messages mean? How important are they to consumers? To what extent do they play a role in the purchase decision process? Example: If there are two similar products at similar prices, is the consumer more likely to purchase the one that incorporates some of these symbols and messaging? Why? How do they make that decision?





12. E-Commerce has been growing very rapidly in the US, with companies such as Amazon and WalMart leading the way. How does sustainability factor into the way young consumers shop on-line? Do they consider packaging when they make a purchase? Do they expect to receive the same package they would buy in a store? How do they feel about the materials used to ship their order? (Corrugated box, bubble wrap, crumpled paper, etc…) Do they feel these shipments are appropriately packaged or over-packaged, and does this affect their opinion of the brand or their likelihood of making future purchases on-line?

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