(Not) Communicating the Environmental Friendliness of Food Packaging to Consumers—An Attribute- and Cue-Based Concept and Its Application
While consumer understanding of and preferences for environmentally friendly packaging options have been well investigated, little is known about the environmentally friendly packaging attributes communicated to consumers by suppliers via packaging cues. We thus propose a literature-based attribute-...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/9/1371 |
| _version_ | 1827672535996563456 |
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| author | Krisztina Rita Dörnyei Anna-Sophia Bauer Victoria Krauter Carsten Herbes |
| author_facet | Krisztina Rita Dörnyei Anna-Sophia Bauer Victoria Krauter Carsten Herbes |
| author_sort | Krisztina Rita Dörnyei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While consumer understanding of and preferences for environmentally friendly packaging options have been well investigated, little is known about the environmentally friendly packaging attributes communicated to consumers by suppliers via packaging cues. We thus propose a literature-based attribute-cue matrix as a tool for analyzing packaging solutions. Using a 2021 snapshot of the wafer market in nine European countries, we demonstrate the tool’s utility by analyzing the cues found that signal environmentally friendly packaging attributes. While the literature suggests that environmentally friendly packaging is increasingly used by manufacturers, our analysis of 164 wafer packages shows that communication is very limited except for information related to recyclability and disposal. This is frequently communicated via labels (e.g., recycling codes, Green Dot) and structural cues that implicitly signal reduced material use (e.g., less headspace and few packaging levels). Our attribute–cue matrix enables researchers, companies, and policymakers to analyze and improve packaging solutions across countries and product categories. Our finding that environmentally friendly packaging attributes are not being communicated to consumers underscores a pressing need for better communication strategies. Both direct on-pack and implicit communication should help consumers choose more environmentally friendly packaging. Governments are encouraged to apply our tool to identify communication gaps and adopt labeling regulations where needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:09:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f430df9c1d514af08e768e8285f0bb63 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:09:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-f430df9c1d514af08e768e8285f0bb632023-11-23T08:14:32ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582022-05-01119137110.3390/foods11091371(Not) Communicating the Environmental Friendliness of Food Packaging to Consumers—An Attribute- and Cue-Based Concept and Its ApplicationKrisztina Rita Dörnyei0Anna-Sophia Bauer1Victoria Krauter2Carsten Herbes3Institute of Marketing, Corvinus University of Budapest, 8 Fovam ter, 1093 Budapest, HungaryPackaging and Resource Management, Department Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, Helmut-Qualtinger-Gasse 2/2/3, 1030 Vienna, AustriaPackaging and Resource Management, Department Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, Helmut-Qualtinger-Gasse 2/2/3, 1030 Vienna, AustriaInstitute for International Research on Sustainable Management and Renewable Energy, Nuertingen Geislingen University, Neckarsteige 6-10, 72622 Nuertingen, GermanyWhile consumer understanding of and preferences for environmentally friendly packaging options have been well investigated, little is known about the environmentally friendly packaging attributes communicated to consumers by suppliers via packaging cues. We thus propose a literature-based attribute-cue matrix as a tool for analyzing packaging solutions. Using a 2021 snapshot of the wafer market in nine European countries, we demonstrate the tool’s utility by analyzing the cues found that signal environmentally friendly packaging attributes. While the literature suggests that environmentally friendly packaging is increasingly used by manufacturers, our analysis of 164 wafer packages shows that communication is very limited except for information related to recyclability and disposal. This is frequently communicated via labels (e.g., recycling codes, Green Dot) and structural cues that implicitly signal reduced material use (e.g., less headspace and few packaging levels). Our attribute–cue matrix enables researchers, companies, and policymakers to analyze and improve packaging solutions across countries and product categories. Our finding that environmentally friendly packaging attributes are not being communicated to consumers underscores a pressing need for better communication strategies. Both direct on-pack and implicit communication should help consumers choose more environmentally friendly packaging. Governments are encouraged to apply our tool to identify communication gaps and adopt labeling regulations where needed.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/9/1371packagingenvironmentally friendlyeco-friendlysustainableconsumerstrategy |
| spellingShingle | Krisztina Rita Dörnyei Anna-Sophia Bauer Victoria Krauter Carsten Herbes (Not) Communicating the Environmental Friendliness of Food Packaging to Consumers—An Attribute- and Cue-Based Concept and Its Application Foods packaging environmentally friendly eco-friendly sustainable consumer strategy |
| title | (Not) Communicating the Environmental Friendliness of Food Packaging to Consumers—An Attribute- and Cue-Based Concept and Its Application |
| title_full | (Not) Communicating the Environmental Friendliness of Food Packaging to Consumers—An Attribute- and Cue-Based Concept and Its Application |
| title_fullStr | (Not) Communicating the Environmental Friendliness of Food Packaging to Consumers—An Attribute- and Cue-Based Concept and Its Application |
| title_full_unstemmed | (Not) Communicating the Environmental Friendliness of Food Packaging to Consumers—An Attribute- and Cue-Based Concept and Its Application |
| title_short | (Not) Communicating the Environmental Friendliness of Food Packaging to Consumers—An Attribute- and Cue-Based Concept and Its Application |
| title_sort | not communicating the environmental friendliness of food packaging to consumers an attribute and cue based concept and its application |
| topic | packaging environmentally friendly eco-friendly sustainable consumer strategy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/9/1371 |
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