by Emanuele Vicentini
World leading brands and international manufacturers to respond to planetary needs
Two days (20th and 21st February) in the Congress Hall of Fico Eataly World in Bologna, where the technology manufacturers of Coesia, IMA, Marchesini Group, Robopac, Sacmi, Tetra Pak, also supported by Aliplast, Herambiente and the exhibition Ipack Ima (which will host the second edition of the forum next year) but also from WWF, Fao who have dialogued with world leading brands such as Coca Cola, Coop, Procter & Gamble, from Massimo Zanetti Beverages to Barilla.
The international event to understand how to tackle the production chains towards environmentally friendly development models, to respond to a planetary need increasingly felt by individual citizens and consumers, not only the very young, since the environment has become the primary concern for Italians.
Nielsen survey on italian consumers and green packaging
From a Nielsen survey, exposed at the start of the works, it appears that the design and the type of packaging are the two main characteristics from which Italian consumers are attracted but to whom they are willing to give up to buy sustainable products.
This is what emerges on the behavior of those who buy consumer goods, 46% of Italians, against 52% of the European average, are willing to give up the packaging design, while 40% believe they can change brands (compared to 46% of the European average) in favor of ‘green’ packaging.
Instead, the size of the packaging (34%), the range (16%), the taste (15%) and the texture (8%) count more for the consumer, characteristics for which the ‘green’ choice is less preferable.
According to estimates, in Italy only 25% of the companies offer sustainable products even if 41% of respondents are very easy or rather easy to find them in stores.The Nielsen survey also shows that 24% of Italians (against 27% of the European average) claim to be willing to pay a surcharge for containers made of sustainable material.
Importance of sustainability for consumers: Silvia Zucconi’s survey (Nomisma)
A second survey, presented by Silvia Zucconi of Nomisma, author of the research on purchasing choices in Italy, Germany and USA, illustrated how today consumers are attentive to sustainability, even in packaging: four out of ten consumers consider it when choosing a product , and they do it not only to get information about the product but to get information on the material.
The challenge for companies, however, is another and concerns the cost that the consumer is willing to bear for a more sustainable packaging. “There is no such availability today, in fact, as many as 41% of consumers say they don’t want to pay anything more“.
“The consumer is ready and therefore the industry is ready too“: Andrea Segrè, President of FICO Foundation
In this regard, commented the President of the Fico foundation Andrea Segrè: “We are almost mature so that all the players in the supply chain go towards sustainability, with clear objectives dictated by the UN 2030 agenda that every country, every region and every municipality is Responsible production and consumption are among these objectives. As the Nomisma survey reveals, the consumer is ready and therefore the industry is ready too. Of course, whoever has to govern the whole system is politics, and here we are a the EU is taking a lead with the New Green Deal, but then the countries must follow and not indicate wrong trajectories, as in the case of the discussed plastic tax to ‘make money’, on which, however, the Emilia region -Romagna – notes Professor Segrè – has followed the right path“.
Eating habits impact on the planet: the importance of the used packaging
In the meantime, Altroconsumo also registers a gear shift in consumption. 60% of Italians, according to a recently published survey, believe that their eating habits impact on the planet even if in reality only 25% ‘pay close attention’ to environmental aspects.
This evaluating for example the type of packaging used and checking whether the production method is sustainable. 55% say they are willing to spend more on purchasing sustainable products and 54% say that price is not the main choice criterion used for purchases.
Marked a new point of analysis of the entire topic, the next occasion during the Ipack Ima event
The “Packaging Speaks Green” Forum which unfolded over two days of work and three panels, all with working language in English: Legislation and society, consumer perspection and legislative development; Retailers and brand owners, best practices and lessons learned; Materials and technologies, sustainable packaging solutions (reduce, reuse, recycle) which have told the evolution of the sector towards the theme of sustainability and its needs.
The research presented, the panels, the moments of confrontation with the protagonists of the supply chain and of the international institutions and associations have marked a new point of analysis of the entire topic, so important. The next edition will be in 2021, on the occasion of the Ipack Ima event.
“Italy needs a Green Industry plan”: Enrico Aureli, President of UCIMA
The words of Enrico Aureli, President of Ucima (the confindustrial union of manufacturers of automatic machines for wrapping and packaging) at the end of the two days, represented the synthesis of the goal aimed at by the Italian industry, which boasts undisputed levels of world leadership: “Italy needs a ” Green Industry “plan, on the line of what has been achieved for” Industry 4.0 “, and the Made in Italy packaging chain, as a world leader and forerunner in the development of sustainable solutions , has all the characteristics to aspire to be the engine and guide of a green transformation of packaging materials and technologies on an international scale”.
More info about:
Packaging speaks green 2020
Ipack Ima
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