The Influence of Packaging Design Features on Consumers' Purchasing & Recycling Behaviour

This paper describes an empirical study to determine the influence of specific design elements of sustainable packaging on consumer behaviour during purchase and recycling. Existing studies show that the visual appearance of packaging design influences the behaviour of consumers. The results of this study show that decisions made by consumers regarding the packaging are mostly based on graphics and to a lesser extent on information and form. Furthermore, a sustainable form and information regarding sustainability also have the highest utility, which indicates that these cues are able to trigger a higher buying intention. According the results on recycling behaviour, it is unclear if recycling logos and a stimulating text have an impact on recycling intention of consumers

Towards a Generic Set of Packaging Material Key Figures

Many companies consider the reduction of packaging material as a relevant development direction, either required by cost savings, supply chain efficiency, sustainability or substantiated by regulations (directive 94/62/EC). This aligns with an eco-efficient redundancy perspective on packaging. Research shows that material efficiency requirements in packaging design briefs are often only justified by aims towards cost reduction; commercial viability is regularly prioritized over sustainability aims. Insights collected from current material quantification analyses like product-packaging life cycle assessment (LCA) and costing (LCC) are not directly applicable during generative development processes. Packaging material key figures can be useful for that, as the middle ground between design guidelines and rules-of-thumb but research in this area is limited. Key figures are established in other sectors like electrical appliances’ energy use, automobile fuel economy, or housing energy efficiency. Based on existing studies about eating patterns of Dutch consumers the research determined typical fast moving consumer goods consumption patterns that are grouped according to product type and use scenario, which lead to daily product consumption patterns. Key figures of used amount of packaging material per product type are determined by looking at packaging solutions present in the market. These figures are linked to the consumer patterns. The outcome is compared with annual packaging waste figures as validation. The research shows for example that packaging material use for food products is currently over 6 times higher than material use for non-food products, and that beverages and products required for dinner require the highest amount of packaging. The research contribution is a collection of packaging material key figures, grouped per product type and use scenario. The range of key figures (minimal and maximum material amounts) is useful as starting point for efficient material use in packaging design

The development team as a guardian of sustainability and circularity:A design intervention tailored for product-packaging development processes

This research addresses the integration of sustainability and circularity-focused considerations in product-packaging development processes. The relevance of this topic stems from the increasing focus on humankind’s impact on the natural environment, in various elements of society, policy making, and industry. In traditional sustainability efforts, the reduction of the negative effects of this impact is the main target. This materializes in linear systems in which take-make-dispose patterns represent products’ material flows. In recent years, the focus increasingly shifts towards the development of circular systems: continuous cycles in which materials flow without a loss in quality and quantity. When integrating sustainability considerations into packaging development processes, the distinction between a redundancy perspective and a facilitator perspective is critical. Oftentimes, packaging is perceived as a subordinate and minor element of supply chains, regarded through the properties that become apparent in the later stages of a supply chain, and which result in perceived superfluous and excessive packaging. However, when considering the various steps from product manufacturer to consumer, packaging shows to facilitate the added value of a product in a supply chain. As a result, in this facilitator perspective packaging must be regarded as an essential and beneficial add-on to the product, forming a product-packaging combination. In this research, integrated product-packaging combinations therefore act as the main subject of focus.A major section of the currently identified packaging sustainability-related issues can be traced back to a lack of integrating a sustainability focus into packaging development processes. Therefore, this research targets the development of interventions that value both the relevance of environmental sustainability, and consider the added value of packaging as a facilitator in supply chains. The combination of two key constructs – the development process of product-packaging combinations, and the subjects of sustainability and circularity – and accompanying complexities render this study as solution-focused design research, with an ill-defined problem as its origin. Following, it is approached as a synthesis-focused design research process. This research comprises three phases, which correspond with the core chapters of this dissertation. Each phase individually results in several valuable insights, guided by the identified research gaps and accompanying research questions. Secondly, the results of each phase provide the opportunities and boundaries of the field of research relevant for the subsequent research phases.The first phase explores the field under research, by means of a systematic literature review. This phase primarily focuses on current methods, models, and tools that address sustainable development from the perspective of design and marketing teams, specifically the gaps and issues limiting the alignment of packaging development and circular systems. The research shows three types of integration that are important when considering the development of product-packaging combinations for circular systems: integrated product-packaging development, the cross-functional integration of actors, and front-end integration of sustainability-related considerations.In the second research phase, the theoretical exploration of the field of product-packaging sustainability is complemented by an analysis of the current practice, through two distinct approaches. By means of a qualitative research approach, the key focus is on addressing the current alignment of the strategic and the operational levels of sustainable packaging development, by targeting the operational activities of multidisciplinary product-packaging development teams, specifically the decision making and interrelations of key actors (marketers and packaging developers), and companies’ strategic aims, related to sustainability considerations. This phase links factors that potentially influence the integration of sustainability in packaging development processes with dependencies and interrelations between actors (‘who’), decisions, actions and trade-offs (‘what’), and decision-making criteria (‘why’) within product-packaging development teams. This results in a set of identified ‘enablers’ and ‘barriers’, as a framework for the alignment of the strategic and operational levels of sustainable packaging development. The research distinguishes desired, perceived, and achieved sustainability efforts in the analyzed cases. It shows that, in the analyzed cases, sustainability considerations are never the leading requirement. A product’s commercial viability (strategic fit, business case feasibility, and a limitation of commercial risks) and development aspects (timing issues, material use, and supply chain efficiency) are prioritized over desired sustainability goals.In this phase’s second research endeavor, the focus is directed towards the alignment of the strategic and operational levels of packaging development by analyzing how decision-making processes at various hierarchical levels are characterized in achieving a consensus on the integration of sustainability. The involvement and decision-making processes by various stakeholders – both internal and external – influence the priority setting for sustainability at both the strategic and the operational level of development. By means of a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this phase shows that many of the configurations that lead to high levels of sustainability integration differ between the strategic and the operational level, which further underlines the findings of the qualitative study.The body of knowledge derived from phases 1 and 2 identifies a collection of issues, limitations, and requirements that act as barriers or enablers for the structured implementation of sustainability and circularity-related considerations into product-packaging development processes. A key aim of this research is the development of a tailored design intervention, which materializes in the final phase. It targets the theoretical description of the role of a sustainability guardian in product-packaging development processes, by means of a problem-oriented design process – a design science research cycle – based on a heuristic structure of tacit and explicit knowledge. Besides the description of the key elements and characteristics of such a role, this research phase provides definitions of the prerequisites for successfully integrating the role in development processes. This leads to a solid basis for the further development of the operational application of the sustainability guardian’s role. It shows to be a valuable option to balance trade-offs, integrate various stakeholders’ points of focus on sustainability within multidisciplinary product-packaging development teams, and to further align the strategic and operational levels of development – desired, perceived, and achieved sustainability. The sustainability guardian acts as a suitable answer to the challenges of the limited applicability of currently available models and tools, the identified misalignment of the strategic and operational levels of development, the complexities in team dynamics, and the trade-offs in development processes

The development team as a guardian of sustainability and circularity: A design intervention tailored for product-packaging development processes

This research addresses the integration of sustainability and circularity-focused considerations in product-packaging development processes. The relevance of this topic stems from the increasing focus on humankind’s impact on the natural environment, in various elements of society, policy making, and industry. In traditional sustainability efforts, the reduction of the negative effects of this impact is the main target. This materializes in linear systems in which take-make-dispose patterns represent products’ material flows. In recent years, the focus increasingly shifts towards the development of circular systems: continuous cycles in which materials flow without a loss in quality and quantity. When integrating sustainability considerations into packaging development processes, the distinction between a redundancy perspective and a facilitator perspective is critical. Oftentimes, packaging is perceived as a subordinate and minor element of supply chains, regarded through the properties that become apparent in the later stages of a supply chain, and which result in perceived superfluous and excessive packaging. However, when considering the various steps from product manufacturer to consumer, packaging shows to facilitate the added value of a product in a supply chain. As a result, in this facilitator perspective packaging must be regarded as an essential and beneficial add-on to the product, forming a product-packaging combination. In this research, integrated product-packaging combinations therefore act as the main subject of focus. A major section of the currently identified packaging sustainability-related issues can be traced back to a lack of integrating a sustainability focus into packaging development processes. Therefore, this research targets the development of interventions that value both the relevance of environmental sustainability, and consider the added value of packaging as a facilitator in supply chains. The combination of two key constructs – the development process of product-packaging combinations, and the subjects of sustainability and circularity – and accompanying complexities render this study as solution-focused design research, with an ill-defined problem as its origin. Following, it is approached as a synthesis-focused design research process. This research comprises three phases, which correspond with the core chapters of this dissertation. Each phase individually results in several valuable insights, guided by the identified research gaps and accompanying research questions. Secondly, the results of each phase provide the opportunities and boundaries of the field of research relevant for the subsequent research phases. The first phase explores the field under research, by means of a systematic literature review. This phase primarily focuses on current methods, models, and tools that address sustainable development from the perspective of design and marketing teams, specifically the gaps and issues limiting the alignment of packaging development and circular systems. The research shows three types of integration that are important when considering the development of product-packaging combinations for circular systems: integrated product-packaging development, the cross-functional integration of actors, and front-end integration of sustainability-related considerations. In the second research phase, the theoretical exploration of the field of product-packaging sustainability is complemented by an analysis of the current practice, through two distinct approaches. By means of a qualitative research approach, the key focus is on addressing the current alignment of the strategic and the operational levels of sustainable packaging development, by targeting the operational activities of multidisciplinary product-packaging development teams, specifically the decision making and interrelations of key actors (marketers and packaging developers), and companies’ strategic aims, related to sustainability considerations. This phase links factors that potentially influence the integration of sustainability in packaging development processes with dependencies and interrelations between actors (‘who’), decisions, actions and trade-offs (‘what’), and decision-making criteria (‘why’) within product-packaging development teams. This results in a set of identified ‘enablers’ and ‘barriers’, as a framework for the alignment of the strategic and operational levels of sustainable packaging development. The research distinguishes desired, perceived, and achieved sustainability efforts in the analyzed cases. It shows that, in the analyzed cases, sustainability considerations are never the leading requirement. A product’s commercial viability (strategic fit, business case feasibility, and a limitation of commercial risks) and development aspects (timing issues, material use, and supply chain efficiency) are prioritized over desired sustainability goals. In this phase’s second research endeavor, the focus is directed towards the alignment of the strategic and operational levels of packaging development by analyzing how decision-making processes at various hierarchical levels are characterized in achieving a consensus on the integration of sustainability. The involvement and decision-making processes by various stakeholders – both internal and external – influence the priority setting for sustainability at both the strategic and the operational level of development. By means of a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this phase shows that many of the configurations that lead to high levels of sustainability integration differ between the strategic and the operational level, which further underlines the findings of the qualitative study. The body of knowledge derived from phases 1 and 2 identifies a collection of issues, limitations, and requirements that act as barriers or enablers for the structured implementation of sustainability and circularity-related considerations into product-packaging development processes. A key aim of this research is the development of a tailored design intervention, which materializes in the final phase. It targets the theoretical description of the role of a sustainability guardian in product-packaging development processes, by means of a problem-oriented design process – a design science research cycle – based on a heuristic structure of tacit and explicit knowledge. Besides the description of the key elements and characteristics of such a role, this research phase provides definitions of the prerequisites for successfully integrating the role in development processes. This leads to a solid basis for the further development of the operational application of the sustainability guardian’s role. It shows to be a valuable option to balance trade-offs, integrate various stakeholders’ points of focus on sustainability within multidisciplinary product-packaging development teams, and to further align the strategic and operational levels of development – desired, perceived, and achieved sustainability. The sustainability guardian acts as a suitable answer to the challenges of the limited applicability of currently available models and tools, the identified misalignment of the strategic and operational levels of development, the complexities in team dynamics, and the trade-offs in development processes

Sustainability priorities across the strategic and operational level in packaging development: A set-theoretic approach to actor involvement

Sustainability has become well-established in many companies’ strategic postures. However, executing sustainability-related goals often lags at the operational level. This study analyzes how decision-making processes in packaging development at different hierarchical levels are characterized in achieving a sustainability consensus. For data analysis, we use a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) – a set-theoretic method – with empirical data derived from packaging expert surveys. Involvement and decision making by internal actors, involvement of external actors, and strategic and operational sustainability target setting act as attributes causing the outcome of interest: the levels of sustainability implementation on both the strategic and the operational level of packaging development. Most of the configurations that lead to high levels of sustainability integration differ between the strategic and the operational level. The insights on the sustainability-related configurations of internal and external actors provide guidance for managing projects across the strategic and operational levels in improving sustainable packaging development

Utilising the Potential of Design Briefs in Sustainable Packaging Development

Sustainable considerations in the development of product-packaging combinations require activities on both the strategic and operational level. As part of a company’s vision, the strategic level of development targets the desired implementation of sustainability considerations. The activities of the multidisciplinary teams of marketers, designers and engineers, which specifies the achieved sustainability in finished packaging concepts, largely determines the operational level of product-packaging development. Within multidisciplinary development teams, the challenge for designers is to process requests and ambitions into packaging design proposals. Packaging engineers and technologists translate these design proposals into feasible packaging concepts which meet producability, efficiency and cost requirements. Design briefs for packaging development are drafted by marketers and packaging developers, in cooperation with other disciplines; marketing and packaging design (sometimes development) are leading in checking and updating design briefs. Marketers are often in the lead concerning decisions related to the design and development of packaging, supported by management. This research is based on surveys amongst Dutch packaging experts and interviews with members of packaging design teams. The findings are illustrated with practical packaging development cases, from the perspective of a packaging design agency. Design briefs form the interface between the different disciplines in development teams. However, current design briefs from marketer to the development team are currently not always applied for the specific implementation of sustainable considerations in packaging development. This article addresses this issue and the relation to the alignment of the desired (strategic level) and achieved (operational level) implementation of sustainability considerations in product-packaging development. Literature on the suitability of design briefs regarding the implementation of sustainability from the perspective of product-packaging development teams and the relation to both the strategic and operational level is limited. We describe current issues regarding design briefs, focused on multidisciplinary teams and the implementation of sustainability considerations in product-packaging development processes

Desired, Perceived, and Achieved Sustainability: Trade-Offs in Strategic and Operational Packaging Development

 The alignment of the strategic and the operational level of packaging development in relation to the integration of sustainability is not addressed extensively in current research. This paper aims to address this, by focusing on the decision-making interrelations of key actors (marketing and packaging development) within multidisciplinary product-packaging development teams. The research is conducted by means of a qualitative approach, consisting of semi-structured interviews with individual packaging development team members, complemented with a newly developed visualization tool. The research builds upon eight cases within brand owners, packaging material suppliers and packaging development consultants. The main findings of the study include the decision-making trade-offs between sustainability considerations and other project indicators, such as costs, time-to-market and technical challenges. These trade-offs are linked to the strategic and operational roles of key actors, and to internal and external factors influencing sustainable development processes. This research’s contribution is to address the alignment of the strategic and the operational levels of sustainable packaging development, in relation to (1) decision making and interrelations within multidisciplinary development teams; and (2) the relevance of development-influencing factors. This provides opportunities for further development of sustainable packaging models and tools, in order to align the strategic and operational level of development.Funding agencies: Dutch Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN); Netherlands Institute for Sustainable Packaging (KIDV) [SD002]</p