Consumer Behavior as a Challenge and Opportunity for Circular Food Packaging—a Systematic Literature Review

Rietz, Sabina Du; Kremel, Anna

doi:10.1007/s43615-023-00290-1

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 67 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Research on reusable packaging has reemerged starting in 2018, showing consumers' acceptance of this type of packaging [19]. Long et al [20] reported that English consumers are in favor of reusable food product packaging strategies.…”

Section: Literature Review On Consumers' Behavior Toward Environmenta...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumers’ Behavior toward Packaging Containing Agricultural Waste as a Plastic Filler for Food: An Exploratory Study

Fennell,

Fehlberg,

Singh

et al. 2024

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Agricultural waste can be used as a plastic filler during the production of packaging, reducing the environmental impact and raw material consumption while supporting the circular economy. Despite so many efforts being made in development and characterization, consumers’ behavior toward packaging containing agricultural waste as a plastic filler for food is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate consumers’ awareness of and liking for packaging containing agricultural waste as a plastic filler and consumers’ perception and purchase intent of food in such packaging. Consumer survey research was conducted using an in-person questionnaire containing Likert scale, hedonic scale, and guide-type questions completed by 86 participants after showing them bread packaged in pouches made of plastic containing agricultural waste and a prompt in August of 2019. The responses were first analyzed as a whole and further evaluated using demographic and psychographic characteristics. Participants liked the use of agricultural waste to produce food packages and were willing to purchase food (bread) in this novel packaging. The aspect “reduction of harmful environmental impacts” was very important to participants if they were to purchase packaging containing agricultural waste. About 50% of participants were unsure of the performance of this packaging in terms of food quality and safety and >25% perceived no effect. Differences (p ≤ 0.05) within the groups for specific demographic and psychographic characteristics and two-way interactions between them were found. This study shows that food packaging containing agricultural waste should be well received and that packaging choices that affect the environment, like packaging containing agricultural waste, depend on consumers’ mindset. Thus, educating consumers could contribute to reducing the packaging impact on the environment and to boosting environmentally friendly packaging acceptance.

show abstract

Section: Literature Review On Consumers' Behavior Toward Environmenta...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumers’ Behavior toward Packaging Containing Agricultural Waste as a Plastic Filler for Food: An Exploratory Study

Fennell,

Fehlberg,

Singh

et al. 2024

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

How Many Times Should I Use My Reusable Packaging? Exploring the Role of an Environmental Break-Even Point in Shaping Consumers’ Intention to Reuse

Miao,

Magnier,

Mugge

2024

Circ.Econ.Sust.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With growing awareness of packaging waste and pollution, reusable packaging systems (RPSs) appear to be a solution to mitigate the environmental impact of single-use packaging. Nevertheless, RPSs only become less environmentally harmful than single-use after each packaging is reused a minimum number of times, which is defined as the environmental break-even point (e-BEP). A lack of knowledge regarding this critical threshold may lead consumers to be overly optimistic about their reuse behaviour, resulting in insufficient reuse. Communicating e-BEPs can motivate conscious reuse but may also have drawbacks. We used a mixed-method approach consisting of an experiment (N = 276) with four e-BEP conditions (absent, low, medium and high) followed by open-ended questions. The quantitative findings showed that regardless of the e-BEP level, consumers neglected the efforts it implied and consistently exhibited positive perceptions. Nevertheless, the qualitative findings revealed several misperceptions of e-BEPs due to limited understanding. In a subsequent post-test (N = 208), we uncovered the role of consumers’ prior experience with reusable packaging on their evaluations and behavioural intentions. Experienced consumers who have used reusable packaging seem to be more aware of specific challenges in reuse. They exhibited heightened green scepticism and reduced perceived consumer effectiveness in response to high (versus low) e-BEPs. Conversely, inexperienced consumers appeared unaffected by e-BEP conditions. Based on these results, we proposed the potential effect of e-BEPs on consumer evaluations and derived theoretical and practical implications to encourage sustained reuse behaviour in the long run.

show abstract

Addressing Grand Challenges in Sustainable Food Transitions: Opportunities Through the Triple Change Strategy

Polyportis,

De Keyzer,

van Prooijen

et al. 2024

Circ.Econ.Sust.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite emerging consumer trends and policies promoting sustainable food consumption, the transition towards societal tipping points for sustainable food systems remains protracted due to multifaceted challenges such as consumer misconceptions, value chain inequalities, and policy fragmentation. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach that considers all actors within the food system. The present paper follows the paradigm set by the Consumers’ Understanding of Eating Sustainably (CUES) Horizon Europe project and introduces CUES’ Triple Change strategy. This strategy highlights Consumer and Cultural Change, Industrial Change, and Policy Change as interconnected dimensions essential for driving behavioral change and ensuring a successful transition to sustainable food systems. By leveraging persuasive communication and interventions for transparency, fostering value chain reform, and advocating for policy transformations, the Triple Change aims to overcome existing barriers and create opportunities to accelerate the shift towards a resilient food system. This paper explores the grand challenges and opportunities within each of these dimensions and offers a holistic framework for academics, stakeholders, and policymakers to contribute to sustainable food transitions.

show abstract

Consumer Behavior as a Challenge and Opportunity for Circular Food Packaging—a Systematic Literature Review

Cited by 5 publications

References 67 publications

Consumers’ Behavior toward Packaging Containing Agricultural Waste as a Plastic Filler for Food: An Exploratory Study

Consumers’ Behavior toward Packaging Containing Agricultural Waste as a Plastic Filler for Food: An Exploratory Study

How Many Times Should I Use My Reusable Packaging? Exploring the Role of an Environmental Break-Even Point in Shaping Consumers’ Intention to Reuse

Addressing Grand Challenges in Sustainable Food Transitions: Opportunities Through the Triple Change Strategy

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About