Plastic dominates in food and beverages, personal retail and disposable packaging in many consumer areas, mainly due to their durability, adaptability and low production costs. Although it is a non-biodegradable material.
However, this application has become central to global environmental politics over the past few years. The main reason for this is the media interpretation of the impact of consumers on the world's seas and wildlife, the thinking of David Attenborough and his tragic revelation about the "Great Pacific Trash".
Major Breakthrough In 2018, when China, a major importer of waste plastics, decided to ban the recycling and reuse of products, it forced global shareholders to think differently about raw materials and recycling practices.
In addition, the ability of social media to quickly disseminate images and political information will only spread and highlight the painful visual impact of the world’s plastic waste, and promote clear and provocative responses from individuals, organizations and governments.
There is no doubt that the consumer model is evolving; A survey of Euromonitor 1 found that consumers not only prefer products with standard packaging, but are more willing to pay a premium for these products.
A further survey undertaken by One Poll, conducting research on behalf of TIPA Corporation, indicated that 70% of consumers would be more likely to shop with a brand that offers compostable packaging2.
As a result, even the biggest and most powerful corporations are being forced to alter their behaviours to accommodate the ecological requirements of today’s consumer.
Indeed, Procter & Gamble introduced a recyclable shampoo bottle made from reclaimed beach plastic, and Unilever and L’Oréal have both pledged to use 100% recyclable, reusable and reduce its plastic waste output by 16,000 tonnes.
For those UK corporations requiring a harder push to stimulate reform, the Chancellor suggested in the most recent budget that the Treasury would consult on plans to impose a new tax on the manufacture and import of plastic packaging which contains less than 30% recycled plastic. In addition, the government has pledged to find €22.4m of new funding to support innovation in the development of plastic alternatives, €11.2m for plastics R&D and €11.2m to develop innovative approaches to boosting recycling and reducing litter.
Ultimately, however, the UK public still believes that they are the most responsible for reducing plastic waste, followed in second place by retailers and in third place by the government.
So, what does all this mean for UK consumer-facing businesses?
In short, by failing to respond to the growing voice to find sustainable packaging alternatives, companies will, at best, face increased taxes for the use of unsustainable materials, or, at worst, face a significant migration of customers to eco-friendlier competitors, who are likely to command a premium on the sale of responsibly sourced and packaged goods