Effect of Sustainability Package Advertising on Consumer Purchases

This research project focused on factors influencing consumers’ purchasing behavior. Specifically, the project focused on sustainability of packaging and attempted to find if sustainability of a package (represented by post-consumer content) affected a consumer’s decision to buy that product. The specific question asked was: “Are consumers willing to purchase a product based on the environmental friendliness of its package even if it goes against the consumer’s brand preference, or if it has a higher price point than competing products?” Research data was gathered through a multi-page survey comprised of seven questions of varying complexity. Participants were primarily aged 18-25 and the majority female, but the ages of participants range from 19 to 60 years. It was found that participants choose products based on price, quality and brand rather than sustainability. The results of this study suggest that it would not be profitable for a company to spend money marketing or advertising sustainability of a product’s package, especially if it affects the quality or look of the package or the retail price of the product.