Survey on acceptance of the EU ban on certain types of packaging

Based on the ‘Green Deal’, according to which Europe is to be climate-neutral by 2050, the EU has passed a new packaging regulation. The main aim of the law is to make all packaging on the internal market reusable or recyclable by 2030. In order to reduce packaging waste, various types of packaging are to disappear from supermarkets, restaurants and hotels.

We wanted to know what consumers think about the fact that various types of packaging will no longer be permitted from 2030. As part of an online survey, we gathered the opinions of a total of 240 householders. The most important results of this small study conducted by our packaging agency in calendar weeks 22 and 23 of the current year 2024 are presented below.

Note: Find out more about the background to the EU regulation here.

Basic data on the survey

240 householders – 50 per cent women and 50 per cent men aged between 22 and 83 – from Germany took part in our online survey. It covers three areas:

– future banned packaging in supermarkets
– future banned packaging in bakeries, fast-food restaurants and (other) restaurants
– future banned packaging in hotels

For each area, we named three different types of packaging that may no longer be used from 2030. Participants were given a choice of three possible answers:

– I think the ban is good.
– I don’t think the ban is good.
– I don’t care about the ban.

Results in relation to packaging in the supermarket

For a long time, fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic nets were an integral part of supermarket fresh produce departments. This type of packaging is now seen less and less often, primarily due to the fact that it will be banned from 2030. 62 per cent of those surveyed think this ban is a good thing, while 31 per cent do not. The remaining seven per cent don’t care.

Plastic trays are also frequently used to pack fruit and vegetables. However, they are also affected by the ban, which is fine for a whopping 75 per cent of respondents to our survey. 22 per cent do not actually want to do without such packaging, which could be due to the fact that it protects the food relatively well. Three per cent have no specific opinion on the matter.

Plastic bags for herbs will soon no longer be available due to the ban. This is welcomed by 68 per cent of respondents. 24 per cent would like to keep this packaging – presumably again for the reason mentioned earlier for plastic trays with film. The remaining eight per cent of respondents don’t care.

Results relating to packaging in bakeries, fast food restaurants and catering outlets

Small plastic bags for ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise are typical, especially in fast-food restaurants and other “simple” eateries. But this will be a thing of the past by 2030 at the latest. What do our respondents think? 65 per cent are in favour of the ban, 30 per cent are against and four per cent are indifferent.

Who hasn’t seen them, the individual plastic and aluminium packaging for condensed milk and the small paper doors for sugar that are served with coffee in many bakeries, cafés and restaurants? However, we are likely to see less and less of this packaging in the coming years. Most of the participants in our survey don’t mind, on the contrary – 66 and 64 per cent respectively are in favour of banning this packaging. 28 per cent do not approve. For six and eight per cent respectively, it has no relevance.

Results in relation to packaging in hotels

Some holidaymakers appreciate the small individual packaging for soap, shower gel, shampoo or body lotion that is typical in hotels. There are even said to be some who passionately collect these mini cosmetics. But this will soon come to an end. The new EU law bans these packagings from 2030, which is why many hotels are already switching to other solutions, in particular refillable dispensers in the shower and at the washbasin.

Interestingly, only around 50 per cent of the participants in our study are happy with the ban. The lower approval rate compared to the other packagings surveyed is probably due to the aforementioned penchant of many travellers for practical hotel cosmetics. Between 37 and 40 per cent have a negative attitude towards the extinction of utensils and ten to twelve per cent don’t care.

Conclusion

As can be seen from the largely similar percentage distribution of responses, most participants in our survey are in favour of the EU bans on the types of packaging mentioned. They prefer to forego the convenience of this packaging in favour of environmental protection. This shows that a large proportion of the German population has a strong awareness of the impact that unnecessary packaging waste can have on our planet.