Environment issues guide many shoppers to their choices

The survey, carried out this year for Tetra Pak, revealed a growing appetite among consumers for products that tick the right environmental boxes.

When asked about recent purchasing habits, two-thirds said they had bought environmentally-friendly products, even when they cost more, while around the same proportion avoided specific brands or items due to environmental concerns.

Across the 12 countries surveyed, environmental factors were a considerably stronger influence on beverage brand choice in developing markets like China, Turkey, Brazil and India than in developed areas like the UK, the US or Japan.

Indeed, in India, China and Turkey, more than 60 per cent of those surveyed said they always looked for environmental information on beverage products they bought, compared with less than 25 per cent in the US, UK and Japan.

In response, a parallel survey among food manufacturers showed that the majority included environment as part of their business strategy.

More than half were now sharply focused on using responsibly sourced materials, with more and more seeing renewable materials as a key element in product differentiation.

"Consumers expect companies to do more with the environment in mind these days, and are increasingly checking information about a product before they buy. As a partner to the dairy and beverage industry, Tetra Pak is committed to helping customers meet consumer expectations by looking at the whole life of the products we supply," says Mario Abreu, vice president Environment at Tetra Pak.

"This includes: sourcing raw materials responsibly, continuously improving energy efficiency in processing and filling lines, designing products that use more renewable materials and enable easier recycling, and providing specialist services to help customers reduce environmental impact in their own operations," he said.