Green packaging from a company’s perspective: Determining factors for packaging solutions in the German fruit juice industry
Iris Ramme and
Ruth Heimann
MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany
Abstract:
In Germany, extensive legislation aims at getting companies to engage in eco-friendly packaging. A common packaging challenge centers on fruit juice products the packaging of which ranges from carton container, to glass or plastic bottles. This study examined the prevalence of Green Packaging in the Baden-Württemberg fruit juice industry. Expert interviews reveal that these companies make packaging decisions based on bottling volume and financial resources and not on Green Packaging concerns. Concerns about product quality, packaging functionality and convenience prevail because the market values these factors above all. This means Green Packaging will be implemented only when eco-friendly packaging becomes a ‘must-have’ product feature. The study also revealed that the retail channels used by these companies push back against returnable bottles because of their handling costs. Interviewees also expressed their opinion that consumers’ demand for Green Packaging does not suffice to drive change in existing practices. Our recommendation is that smaller companies focus their packaging decisions on existing returnable glass bottles thereby both minimizing change over costs and maximizing green marketing potential. For larger companies it is possible to take on a pioneer role in the field of Green Packaging.
Keywords: green packaging; environmentally-friendly packaging; fruit juice; product policy; marketing; expert interviews; Germany (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M31 M38 Q50 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-07-14
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env and nep-mkt
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:65632
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