Lightweight packaging is our answer to the demands of the liquid food industry and consumers asking for modern and clever packages. By using a minimal amount of raw material we create a lightweight package which combines low environmental impact with consumer convenience. Saving resources is saving the environment. That is why lightweight packaging has become a heavyweight argument."
Ecolect writes, "Ecolean bag weighs 40-45% less than a carton package and 60-65% less than a plastic bottle of the same size. Even if the mixed material is not really good for recycling, the packages could be remanufactured as mixed plastics and used for products such as pallets, trays, or artificial wood."
But, how does Ecolean fare in the eyes of the consumer? Since awareness of packaging is so personally tied to the daily lives of consumers in terms of use and disposal, it follows that individuals understand sustainable packaging primarily in terms of its back-end environmental impacts (what happens to the packaging after they use the product at home). Front-end issues, such as energy used in production, are much less understood. For example, a discussion about energy savings gained through use of aseptic packaging, like Ecolean, is unknown to most sustainability consumers. Because front-end issues are largely invisible to consumers, when asked about preferred packaging characteristics of the products they buy, back-end issues, such as recyclability and being biodegradable are of greater importance, followed by attributes such as reusability and compostability. Though, when digging deeper, many of the issues of biodegradability and compostability fall further along the adoption pathway in the World of Sustainability.
Below are 6 attributes of sustainable packaging and how they resonate with today's consumers:
Recyclable: Packaging made from paper, glass, metals, and plastic that can be recycled by consumers through conventional (curb-side) recycling are preferred.
Minimal packaging: Packaging that features less head space, fewer layers, and less content
Made from recycled materials: Products made from recycled materials go one step further than simply being recyclable.
Re-useable: Items that can be repurposed connect to environmental sustainability pathways through notions of decreased waste.
Biodegradable: While many consumers do not understand the technical aspects of biodegradation, they have vague notions that certain “things take a long time to break down.” Most consumers consider plastic materials the worst offender because they perceive them as never fully degrading.
Compostable: As composting is an activity further along the adoption pathway in the World of Sustainability, most individuals are only vaguely aware of compostable packaging. Even for consumers most intensely involved in the World who view compostable packaging as the most sustainable option available, it is only “nice to have” — a value-added attribute, and not a purchase driver.