Just the Facts: Telling A Brand’s Sustainability Story

Eco-conscious consumers are holding companies more accountable than ever for sustainability in products and packaging. Brands are seeing sustainability elevated to a competitive differentiator as consumers increasingly make purchase decisions aligned with their values. In effort to capture share of wallet, companies across the globe are touting the eco-friendly attributes of their products.

As companies continue to barrage consumers with sustainability claims, consumers are examining these claims for signs of greenwashing (defined as when a company makes claims to persuade people that they are doing more to protect the environment than they really are). To stand up to that scrutiny and avoid greenwashing, brands must ensure they are communicating transparently and truthfully about the sustainable attributes of their products and packaging.

Source: Capterra

Today, consumers want just the facts when it comes to the sustainability story behind products and packaging so they can align their considerable purchasing power behind truly sustainable brands. A survey by Capterra found that a majority of consumers (88%) check the sustainability of a product before at least some purchases. Sustainability factors such as product material and packaging were rated as the most common aspects consumers check for while shopping. The survey also found that “consumers primarily value sustainability in products that are easy to consume and discard. Across all categories surveyed, the highest number of consumers said that sustainability is a top consideration in food and drinks (60%).”

Shoppers are also willing to pay more for sustainably branded products. A 2022 study by IBM’s Institute for Business Value revealed that 49% of consumers indicated they’ve paid a premium – an average of 59% more – for products branded as sustainable or socially responsible in the last 12 months.

As eco-friendly claims by companies become more ubiquitous, educating consumers about the sustainability attributes of products and packaging is critical for maintaining consumer trust. More needs to be done to increase transparency and help consumers understand the facts behind sustainability claims. Packaging Europe recently reported on a survey from sustainability marketing technology company Provenance that revealed only 30% of consumers find it easy to understand the reasoning behind brands’ waste and recycling claims. The publication noted that “on-pack instruction, such as a sentence or two about how and where to recycle, is generally well-received by consumers.”

As more companies tout their eco-friendly products to align with consumer preferences for sustainability, brands will need to avoid greenwashing by clearly and factually articulating their green credentials.

Made of aluminum, CCT’s EEASY Lid can help brands reduce their environmental impact and contribute to a company’s sustainability story.

• Aluminum is easily and infinitely recyclable without a significant reduction in the integrity of the material
• Consumers are very familiar with recycling aluminum which has been called America’s most successful recycling story
• Aluminum recycling programs are available across the globe, which eliminates the requirement of shipping the material out for recycling
• Weighing less by volume than other metals, packaging made of aluminum reduces fuel consumption and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions in transport than heavier and larger packaging

Contact us today to find out how the EEASY Lid can help build on the environmentally friendly attributes of your product portfolio.