Recently in packaging news, a survey conducted by LiquiGlide, Inc. indicated that many consumers find product waste painful – in fact, many would prefer to go to the dentist than see products wasted! In many cases, it seems to be the packaging that prevents consumers from getting every last drop out of a bottle, tube, or other type of container/package.
Out of the 1,000 consumers surveyed, 6 out of 10 estimated that on a yearly basis, they wasted between $1 and $49 due to wasteful packaging. One third of that 60% claims to waste more than $50 on products because they cannot get all of the product out of the package. So, what methods do consumers resort to in order to get more out of the package? Here are a few that may or may not surprise you.
Heating, smashing containers, stepping on them, or even biting/sucking on the packaging are some of the more unusual methods consumers use to get the most out of what they pay for. More traditional methods include:
Cutting containers open – 61% of respondents say they’ve done this.
Storing containers/bottles upside down – this is the most common method used for getting the most product out of containers, with 84% of respondents saying they have done this.
Adding water is common to shake that last bit of dishwashing liquid, shampoo, or other liquids out – about 68% of those surveyed do this.
Spatulas and centrifugal forces are other tactics used by consumers to get that last bit of product out of containers.
While about 165 of the 1,000 surveyed claim their motivation for getting all of the products out of containers is environmental, most agreed that it’s about the money. Consumers don’t want to waste money, and they expect to get what they pay for – which is ALL of the product regardless of the type of packaging. The majority of consumers are ready and willing to try new packaging for personal care items such as lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste, and food products like mayonnaise. Liquid washing detergent is another concern, and nearly 7 out of 10 consumers don’t like to open a new package until every bit of the product in the previous package is used.
At REA JET, we realize the impact that packaging has on consumers, not only in terms of visual appeal, but for ease-of-use and accessibility to the product inside. We also realize the importance of indelible printing on a variety of substrates, providing consumers with easy-to-read expiration dates, nutrition labels, scannable bar codes, and more. Quality, reliable printing is essential in reducing diversion, implementing efficient recalls, traceability in the supply chain, and more. Contact REA JET for all of your industrial coding and marking solutions.