Drawing on insights from 3,201 consumers surveyed and 32 in‑depth qualitative interviews across six major European countries, the research found that 91% of European consumers are aware that some products typically found in a supermarket – like food, beverage, pet food, cleaning, and beauty products – have recycled plastic in their packaging.
Significantly, this familiarity has translated into action, with 76% of European grocery shoppers knowingly buying products that use recycled material in their packaging.
A further 79% of European consumers believe using recycled plastic in product packaging is an effective way to reduce environmental impact.
Recycled content enhances trust
Consumers, particularly younger age groups, positively view the use of recycled material in product packaging. Almost two-thirds (63%) of European consumers say that the use of recycled content increases their trust in a brand.
Regarding quality perception, over half (53%) of consumers say the use of recycled plastic in packaging makes “no difference” to how they view the quality of the product. And more than one in five (22%) say that using recycled plastic actually improves the quality of the packaging. This is especially true for younger consumers, with 34% of 18 to 34-year-olds perceiving higher quality in packaging that contains recycled plastic.
