A new generation of consumers, represented by Generation Z, is emerging, and their attitudes and preferences are particularly evident: they are more willing to pay for products and brands that have social value, but high product premiums still discourage sustainable packaging choices.
- 73% of consumers feel guilty about enjoying life at the expense of damaging the environment, and 80% feel brands and companies are responsible for the environment (GFK Consumer Research)
- 13% of Gen Z consumers globally and 25% of Gen Z consumers in China are particularly concerned about a brand’s environmental actions (OCR)
- 59% of Gen Z are willing to buy upgraded products (products that are made more valuable by reuse on top of used items) (First Insight survey data)
- Young people aged 20 to 29 have a strong willingness to buy sustainable goods, and about half of Chinese consumers are willing to pay no more than a 10% premium for sustainable products (China Sustainable Consumption Research Report)
For now, in the short term, many brands are absorbing some of the cost of sustainable packaging themselves because it is impossible to pass it on to consumers. At present, consumers cannot afford to pay too much premium for the use of environmentally friendly materials. Instead, they are more willing to choose environmentally friendly products at the same price.
Under such a consumer trend, sustainable packaging can develop endless possibilities:
- Guide consumers to learn more about the development and application of environmentally friendly packaging materials
- Promote the link between consumer behavior and environmental outcomes
- Influence consumers to change their consumption behavior in a more sustainable direction by promoting their environmental behavior
Anyhow, using sustainable packaging is the trend. No matter the brands or consumers, we all will get benifit frm sustainable packaging in the end.
