Our consumer research uncovered that consumers expect ALL packaging to be recyclable, and many perceive paper-based packaging as a natural, easy-to-recycle solution.

However, while paper-based packaging is appealing, its use for many foods and other sensitive products remains limited today because the market lacks a high-barrier, recyclable paper-based solution. Solving this packaging innovation challenge is one that Amcor's experts are about to turn from ambition to reality.

We surveyed consumers in four European countries about their perceptions of different confectionery packaging options. When polled, 80% of UK respondents perceived Bio-based PE and paper packaging as new and different. In Germany, 73% of respondents said that a paper wrapper for a chocolate bar was more distinctive. And when presented with a 20% higher price for a chocolate bar wrapped in paper, Italian consumers said they have a greater purchase intent for the paper-wrapped product versus the less expensive product in a standard plastic wrapper. So why does paper packaging have this impact on confectionery consumers?

In a 2020 study by the PEW Charitable Trust 51% of UK consumers who said they preferred paper believed it to be an easier form of packaging to recycle.

The aesthetics of paper packaging also play into its appeal with the fact that it comes from a natural and renewable resource. In our research findings, this was particularly clear in UK, France and Italy where Bio-based PE (derived from sugar cane) and paper-based packaging have a greater impact on purchase intent, overall appeal and the perceived trustworthiness of a brand. In fact, to differing extents, in all four countries surveyed paper scored as the most preferable confectionery packaging solution.