Pro Carton, the pan European advocacy group for cardboard producers and converters, says that two in three consumers place recycling at the top of the list of ways to beat climate change.
The organisation commissioned research across five major European markets asking more than 5,000 citizens their attitudes towards the environment and packaging perceptions against the current upheaval in energy and conflict.
Despite the cost of living crisis and war in Ukraine, 63% of those asked rated climate change as the second biggest challenge that they faced, behind the cost of living issues but ahead of war. Two in every three consumers want to create a more sustainable lifestyle and 58% believe that recycling is key to doing so. As far as Pro Carton is concerned, the endorses its messaging about the case of a fully renewable and recyclable material.
There were differences across the countries involved: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The continental countries have a greater commitment to a sustainable lifestyle, led by 69% in Italy, compared to the UK where 57% believe this to be the case.
More than half say they are recycling more today than 12 months ago while just over half (54%) say that the environmental impact of a product’s packaging has an impact on their purchasing choice and has become more important in the last 12 months. Faced with a choice of cartonboard or plastic packaging, 89% of German consumers prefer the fibre based material, ahead of the 79% of UK consumers answering the same question.
The survey comes as the EU publishes plans to tighten waste regulations to outlaw non recyclable packaging from 2030. Product packaging needs to be designed for recycling long before this date. The legislation “is a major step forward in the EU’s efforts to create a more sustainable packaging industry in Europe” says Intergraf general secretary Beatrice Klose. “It will have a significant impact on the printing and packaging industry which will need to find new and innovative ways to reduce waste and increase recycling.”
This will apply to UK companies and anything exported to the EU from this country will need to comply with the regulations and companies that have operations in different companies will also conform. UK governments are likely therefore to take a cue from the EU even if not following the recyclability regulations to the letter.
The EU anticipates a common set of symbols to indicate how packaging should be recycled to be used across the EU and beyond.
