US/GB: Sustainable packaging – which sectors do consumers expect to perform the best?

As brands scrabble to achieve net zero, greener packaging has become part of the answer. We asked American and British consumers in which categories they think businesses and manufacturers should be required to use sustainable packaging.

Generally speaking, British consumers are much more likely to say that companies across all sectors should take a more environmentally friendly approach to the way they pack their products. But it’s in relation to food and drink where they are most likely to have these views.

More than half of Americans (58%) and around four in five Britons (84%) say that businesses should use sustainable takeaway containers and cutlery. Slightly fewer American (53%) and British (82%) consumers think using environmentally friendly packaging is essential for groceries – but that’s still a majority in both countries. Consumers in the US are almost as likely to think electronics (50%) and cosmetic (48%) companies must adhere to sustainable packaging regulation. Brits also hold similar views about these two categories, but the support is much more pronounced (78% electronics; 79% cosmetic items) compared to Americans.

Packaging of video games (US 47%, GB 77%), cell phones (US 47%, GB 76%), children’s toys (US 45%, GB 77%) and home appliances (US 45%, GB 78%) are held to broadly similar levels of account within each market when it comes to the way they wrap their goods.

While 45% of American consumers think manufacturers of medicines should use sustainable packaging, 69% of Britons say the same.

There’s a big gulf across the Atlantic when it comes to the clothes and fashion category. Four in five Brits (80%) say manufacturers of these products should be required to use sustainable packaging, but that percentage halves among Americans (42%). And Americans are far more likely than Brits to say that manufacturers of none of these categories need to switch to sustainable packaging (14% US: 3% GB).

On the whole, Britons are more likely to lean towards sustainable packaging and at least seven in ten consumers believe it must be implemented in every category. This share is lower among Americans but at least four in ten consumers say the same in each category.

Data from a recent YouGov consumer framework focusing on sustainability and product labels reveals that more than 175 million US adults say they prefer brands that are sustainable. However, only 12% believe the eco-labelling on products to be true. This suggests that American consumers require brands to be more transparent about the processes and procedures surrounding their sustainability practices.

Methodology

US:

YouGov polled 1,200 US adults on March 22, 2022, between 10:31 and 16:49 EST. The survey was carried out through YouGov Direct. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, political affiliation, and ethnicity. Results are nationally representative of adults in the United States. Learn more about YouGov Direct.

Great Britain:

YouGov polled 1,200 British adults on March 22, 2022, between 10:34 and 17:31 EST. The survey was carried out through YouGov Direct. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. Results are nationally representative of adults in Great Britain. Learn more about YouGov Direct.