Food Packaging Consumer Insights

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Food Packaging

Consumers are increasingly considering the way their food is packaged, particularly with an eye toward the amount and utility of packaging. Considerations for packaging go beyond quantity: packaging serves a variety of functions, from the core purpose of protecting food from damage, tampering, and premature spoilage to the ability to improve convenience via cook-in-packaging or resealability. Sustainability of packaging is also increasingly on the minds of consumers, as climate change and waste issues receive more media attention.

Additionally, the coronavirus pandemic led to more people eating more of their food at home and the amount of packaging waste involved became even more evident:

Food purchased for home consumption via retail outlets uses more packaging per serving because it is sold and shipping in smaller quantities.
Consumers who are eating more food at home as opposed to having their meals prepared by others are interacting with packaging more often during the course of their daily lives.

While food suppliers are also interested in packaging that attracts consumers’ eyes as they walk through retail stores, consumers generally are not consciously aware of it.

COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Changes in Food Shopping & Consumption Patterns

The COVID-19 pandemic had a notable impact on the food packaging market in 2020, both in terms of the foods being packaged and the types of packaging used. Sharp declines in foodservice sales and stay-at-home recommendations led to a shift away from restaurants and an increase in cooking at home. Interest in food that can be stocked in a freezer or elsewhere became a higher priority for more consumers. An increase in snacking and heathier eating also changed the types of food purchased and corresponding packaging needs.

Sustainability Is Increasingly Important to Consumers

Sustainability continues to be one of the highest profile stories in the food packaging market, with producers of the different types of packaging jockeying to be seen as the most environmentally friendly choice. This is driven in part by consumer awareness of the amount of waste generated by their household food consumption, coupled with increased media coverage of sustainability challenges.

However, the definition of sustainability continues to be problematic and often is focused on only one or two packaging parameters instead of total lifecycle environmental cost. While consumer awareness of this complexity is increasing, the issues involving waste – how the packaging is disposed of – and how it protects the food remain in the front of consumers’ minds.

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Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary

2. COVID-19 Trends

COVID-19 Health Trends & Concerns

Negative Personal Effects of the Pandemic

Even More Report Negative Effects on Friends/Family

COVID-19 Effects on Work

COVID-19 Effects on Eating & Shopping

Consumer Concerns About Food Safety Rising in Wake of Pandemic

Home Cooking & Baking

Eating Habits Changed

Coronavirus Frozen Food Trends

3. Recycling & Sustainability Attitudes

Recycling & Minimizing Waste

Recyclable & Recycled Content in Packaging

Environmental Attitudes Over Time

COVID-19 Pandemic Household Waste Generation

Packaging Sustainability

Packaging Materials Ranked by Perceived Eco-Friendliness

Conventional Plastics: Perceived Eco-Friendliness

Bioplastics: Perceived Eco-Friendliness

Sustainable Packaging Features Particularly Sought

Attitudes About Recycling & Biodegradability

Curbside Recycling Services: Consumer Access

Drop-off Recycling Services: Consumer Usage

Frequency of Use: Recycling & Composting Services

Plastic Containers Recycling

Glass Containers Recycling

Paper Recycling

Paperboard & Corrugated Recycling

Plastic Film & Bag Recycling

Composting for Packaging

Paying For Waste Services

Willingness to Pay for Expanded Curbside Recycling & Composting Services

Who Should Pay For Waste Services

4. Packaging Features

Priority of Features in Food Packaging

Flexible Packaging: Features & Functions

Awareness of Packaging & Changed Packaging

Willingness to Pay More for Certain Foods or Delivery Options

5. Consumer Groups

Families with Children

Environmental Attitudes

Eco-Friendly Priorities in Packaging

Packaging Preferences

Vegans, Vegetarians, & Flexitarians

Population & Characteristics

Packaging Preferences

6. Appendix

Scope

Freedonia Methodology

Study-Specific Methodology

Related Studies & Reports

Macroeconomic Assumptions

Economic Environment

Demographics

Consumer Spending

Retail Sales

List of Tables

2. COVID-19 Trends

Table 2-1 | Personal Coronavirus Concerns: "The coronavirus has negatively affected my...", 2020 (percent of consumers who selected any agreement response)

Table 2-2 | Coronavirus Concerns for Friends & Family: "The coronavirus has negatively affected...", 2020 (percent of consumers who selected any agreement response)

Table 2-3 | Coronavirus Effect on Work: "Because of the coronavirus, I...", 2020 (percent of consumers who selected any agreement response)

Table 2-4 | Coronavirus Concerns about Food Safety: "Because of the coronavirus, I am...", 2020 (percent of consumers who selected any agreement response)

Table 2-5 | Home Cooking & Baking Activity, 2014 - 2021 (percent of respondents who noted they agreed completely with the statements)

Table 2-6 | Coronavirus Eating Habits: "Because of the coronavirus, I am eating...", 2020 (percent of consumers who selected any agreement response)

Table 2-7 | "Because of the coronavirus, I am buying more frozen..." by Gender & Age Group, 2020 (percent of respondents)

3. Recycling & Sustainability Attitudes

Table 3-1 | Consumer Attitudes About Recycling: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of total respondents who agree with the statements)

Table 3-2 | Consumer Attitudes About Recyclable & Recycled Content in Packaging: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of respondents who agreed with the statements)

Table 3-3 | Environmental Attitudes, 2015 - 2021 (% of respondents who agreed, strongly or somewhat, with the following statements)

Table 3-4 | COVID-19 Pandemic Household Waste Generation Trends: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of respondents who agreed with the statements)

Table 3-5 | Consumer Perspectives of Eco-Friendliness of Packaging Using Conventional Petroleum-Based Plastics (e.g., Jars, Bottles, Bags, & Pouches): By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of total respondents)

Table 3-6 | Consumer Perspectives of Eco-Friendliness of Packaging Using Plant-Based Bioplastics (e.g., Jars, Bottles, Bags, & Pouches): By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of total respondents)

Table 3-7 | Features Consumers Especially Look for When Considering "Sustainability" or "Eco-Friendly" Packaging: By Gender, Age Group Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% total respondents)

Table 3-8 | Consumer Attitudes About Recycled Plastics & Biodegradability: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of total respondents)

Table 3-9 | Access To Curbside Recycling at Home by Product Type: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% total respondents)

Table 3-10 | Access To Curbside Composting Services At Home By Product Type: By Gender, Age Group, Rural vs. Urban Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% total respondents)

Table 3-11 | Usage of Drop-Off (At a Store, Community Bin, Waste Management Facility, etc.) Recycling Services in the Last 12 Months by Product: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of total respondents)

Table 3-12 | Usage of Drop-Off (At a Store, Community Bin, Waste Management Facility, Etc.) Composting Services in the Last 12 Months by Product: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of total respondents)

Table 3-13 | Plastic Container Recycling Frequency: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of respondents with access to plastic container recycling services)

Table 3-14 | Glass Container Recycling Frequency: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of respondents with access to glass container recycling services)

Table 3-15 | Paper Recycling Frequency: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of respondents with access to paper recycling services)

Table 3-16 | Paperboard & Corrugated Recycling Frequency: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of respondents with access to paperboard & corrugated recycling services)

Table 3-17 | Plastic Film & Bag Recycling Frequency: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of respondents with access to plastic film & bag recycling services)

Table 3-18 | Frequency of Composting for Packaging: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of respondents with access to composting for packaging services)

Table 3-19 | Willingness to Pay for Expanded Curbside Recycling & Composting Services: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of total respondents who agree with the statements)

Table 3-20 | Who Should Pay for Waste Services: By Gender, Age Group, Urban vs. Rural Setting, & Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% of total respondents who agree with the statements)

4. Packaging Features

Table 4-1 | Consumer Insights: Packaging Features, 2020 (% of total respondents)

Table 4-2 | Consumer Insights: Awareness of Packaging & Impact on Purchases, 2020 (% of total respondents)

Table 4-3 | Packaging Consumer Insights by Gender & Age Group, 2020 (percent of respondents who selected strongly or somewhat agree)

Table 4-4 | Willingness to Pay More For Certain Food Types or Delivery Options by Age Group, 2021 (% of respondents who agreed)

5. Consumer Groups

Table 5-1 | Environmental Attitudes Among Households with Children, 2021 (% of respondents who agreed with the statements)

Table 5-2 | Packaging Preferences Among Households with Children, 2020 (% of respondents)

Table 5-3 | "Currently, Which of These Diets/Eating Philosophies Do You Primarily Follow?" by Age Group, 2021 (percent of respondents)

Table 5-4 | Packaging Preferences Among Vegetarians & Vegans, 2020 (% of respondents)

6. Appendix

Table 6-1 | Macroeconomic Indicators, 2010 - 2025 (billion 2012 dollars)

Table 6-2 | Population & Households, 2010 - 2025 (million persons)

Table 6-3 | Personal Consumption Expenditures & Retail Sales, 2010 - 2025 (billion dollars)

Table 6-4 | Nondurable Goods Retail Sales, 2010 - 2025 (billion dollars)

List of Figures

1. Executive Summary

Figure 1-1 | Food Packaging Consumer Insights Summary

2. COVID-19 Trends

Figure 2-1 | Consumer Baking Frequency, 2020 (percent of respondents)

3. Recycling & Sustainability Attitudes

Figure 3-1 | Packaging Materials Ranked by Perceived Eco-Friendliness, 2021 (% total respondents)

Figure 3-2 | Features Consumers Especially Look for When Considering "Sustainability" or "Eco-Friendly" Packaging, 2021 (% total respondents)

Figure 3-3 | Recycling Frequency by Type of Packaging, 2021 (% of respondents with access to recycling for each type)

4. Packaging Features

Figure 4-1 | Priorities of Features in Food Packaging, 2020 (% of respondents selecting each option)

5. Consumer Groups

Figure 5-1 | Priorities When Thinking About Eco-Friendly or Sustainable Packaging by Presence of Children in the Household, 2021 (% of respondents who said each element or feature was a priority)