According to a new research by Nielsen, Irish consumers believe that it is the responsibility of retailers to reduce the amount of packaging used in grocery products.
Around 88% of the respondents felt that there was too much plastic packaging being used unnecessarily.
Some 91% of participants said that retailers should do more to reduce the amount of packaging used for grocery items.
'Concerns Over Sustainability'
The new survey also reveals that around 48% of Irish shoppers actively seek products with minimal packaging, while 46% seek products in recyclable packaging, or with no packaging at all.
Ireland’s head of analytics at Nielsen, Claire Cullen, said, “Shoppers needs are changing, and concerns over sustainability and the impact that current consumption behaviour is having on the environment is only gaining momentum.
“Brands and retailers - of all sizes - and the government have a role to play in the reduction of plastics and pollution and educating consumers about their plans.”
Almost 90% of respondents have claimed to actively recycle plastic packaging, with 78% saying that they were worried about the effect of grocery packaging on the environment.
Role Of The Government
The study also found that 75% of Irish shoppers believed that the government has an active role to play in cutting down plastic usage.
They are of the opinion that the government should introduce fees, or restrictions on producers using plastic.
The Irish government has invested heavily in a mass media recycling campaign designed to educate and raise awareness about the importance of recycling and combating plastic waste.
Plastic bag usage among retailers in Ireland has decreased exponentially since the implementation of the plastic bag levy in 2002.
Many Irish retailers have also announced plans to significantly reduce plastic packaging within the next five to seven years.
In January of 2018, the European Commission Plastic Strategy announced the proposal for a new legislation that would ensure all plastic packaging in the European market should be reused and recycled by 2030.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
