Small Packaging Changes Can Have a Big Impact on Consumer Perception and Help You Meet Your Sustainability Goals Swapping plastic for paper can generate positive results for businesses in numerous ways.

Sometimes even the smallest change can go a long way in improving consumer perception and brand loyalty. Right now, one of the most immediately impactful things a brand can do is to switch plastic packaging materials for paper. And for good reason.

A recent study indicated that more than 80% of shoppers are concerned about plastic and packaging waste¹, preferring options that are easily recyclable and produce less waste. In another recent survey, 78% of respondents said they think more highly of companies that package their products in paper-based packaging².

Unlike plastic, paper and paper-based packaging are some of the most recycled materials in the U.S. Paper has a recycling rate of 68%³, compared to just 5% for plastics⁴. More paper by weight is recovered for recycling from municipal solid waste streams than glass, plastic, steel, and aluminum combined⁵. That's huge.

As more consumers opt for paper-based products over plastic, many brands are turning to paper manufacturers for solutions that provide packaging integrity while also supporting brand sustainability goals such as material reduction, recyclability, and sourcing from renewable resources.

A simple way to eliminate single-use plastics.

Plastic forks and knives. Laundry detergent bottles. Beverage containers. When you think of single-use plastics, these are some of the products that likely come to mind. Another is multipack bundles—the plastic used to bundle food and beverage products together for easy handling.

That's where EnduraGrip™ comes in, an innovative solution that enables brands to transition multipack bundles from plastic clips to a recyclable paperboard alternative. It was launched in early 2023 by Atlanta-based WestRock, a company that creates paper-based packaging for several industries including food, beverage, healthcare, retail, beauty, and more.

In addition to being highly recyclable, the paperboard-based EnduraGrip provides companies with a fully printable surface for high-definition graphics. It is also engineered for durable and comfortable handling and helps manage costs with minimized or optimized material usage.

"Customers appreciate the fully printable surface for crisp, vibrant graphics, and consumers appreciate its durability and ease of handling," says Sam Shoemaker, President of Consumer Packaging at WestRock. He adds that, so far, wholesale businesses that sell multi-pack food and beverage products are the primary segment using EnduraGrip. And they're seeing positive results. "Customer and consumer response to EnduraGrip has been highly favorable."

All in on paper.

With more businesses becoming serious about sustainability, many are looking to eliminate plastic from their packaging completely. One recent innovation replaces plastic-based blister packaging with a paper-based solution. Sonoco, a global provider of packaging products with more than 300 operations around the world, recently launched the EnviroSense® PaperBlister™, the company's sustainable answer to traditional blister packaging for brands that want to eliminate plastic packaging.

Sonoco conducted in-person focus groups, developed new seal tooling, designed new blister cards and cavities, and "established a retrofit kit that could be ordered and added to existing sealing equipment to make it PaperBlister-ready," says Kim Sanderson, a Senior Marketing and Sales Associate at Sonoco Alloyd.

Without the plastic window for visual product identification, the PaperBlister relies on realistic HD-quality graphics as well as cutouts in the front cards and back cavity card. Sonoco also offers the PaperBlister with different types of paper board, providing better durability, increased security, and more.

And consumers are immediately aware that the packaging is sustainable thanks to highly visible recycling instructions incorporated into the design. "With so many stores requiring reduced or zero plastic, along with legislation pushing for various plastic laws, PaperBlister is a simple, streamlined way brands can fully move to eye catching, recyclable packaging without the need for investing in additional capital equipment," Sanderson says.

Click here to learn more about paper packaging innovations.

^{1 Consumer Brands/Ipsos Poll 2021
2 Brookmark Research, Paper and Packaging Board, May 2023 Attitudes and Usage Tracking
3 AF&PA
4 EPA
5 EPA}