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Plastic Bottoms Out List of Perceived Sustainability Among Consumers

Consumers across global regions ranked plastic as the least sustainable packaging material, and their self-reported habits reflect this.

Global consumers consider plastic the least sustainable packaging material.
Global consumers consider plastic the least sustainable packaging material.
PMMI Business Intelligence, 2022 Future of Packaging and Sustainability

Global consumers have a PET peeve against plastic.

That’s according to PMMI Business Intelligence’s 2022 report “Future of Packaging and Sustainability.” Plastic was at the bottom of the list of packaging types considered sustainable or better for the environment across nearly all global regions.

Less than 10% of consumers in Latin America, North America, and Europe consider plastic to be sustainable or better for the environment, the report says, citing the 2022 survey of 32,365 consumers, “Euromonitor International Voice of the Consumer Lifestyles Survey.”

About 12% of Asia Pacific consumers and about 23% of Middle Eastern and African consumers consider it sustainable.

The only region where another material is ranked lower than plastic is the Middle East and Africa, where 22% of consumers believe metal packaging is sustainable.Plastic is the lowest rated material for perceived sustainability among consumers.Plastic is the lowest rated material for perceived sustainability among consumers.PMMI Business Intelligence, 2022 Future of Packaging and Sustainability

A Push for Recyclability

Ironically enough, recyclable material, which can include certain plastic packs, tops the list of packaging considered to be sustainable or better for the environment across all regions in the same report.

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