Do consumers really know what sustainable packaging is?

Sustainable packaging isn’t new, but perceptions of what it is (and isn’t) vary wildly across the globe

The 2025 McKinsey survey of 11,000 consumers across 11 countries shows the story is more complex than we think:

➡️Price & quality still dominate purchase decisions.
➡️Food safety & shelf life are the top packaging priorities.
➡️Environmental impact ranks lower (France & Italy giving it more weight).
➡️Recyclability is seen as the #1 sustainability metric
➡️Reuse & recycled content score well
➡️Bio-based packaging ranks lowest

It’s clear:

There’s no global consensus on what counts as sustainable packaging.

Consumers say they want greener options… but their choices are still driven by cost and their perception of what is green.

Yes, recyclability is good.

But should it really be the first measure of sustainability?

Maybe it’s time for real innovation in the packaging industry.

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