Three-quarters of Canadians seek green food packaging: survey

Feb. 2, 2015, Toronto – More than three-quarters of Canadians say there needs
to be more environmentally friendly packaging when it comes
to food products, according to a recent survey commissioned by Asia Pulp & Paper Canada.

Feb. 2, 2015, Toronto – More than three-quarters of
Canadians say there needs to be more environmentally friendly packaging when it
comes to food products, according to a recent survey commissioned by Asia Pulp
& Paper Canada.

In fact, 58 per cent of Canadians say they seek out food
that is packaged in containers that can be recycled or reused, said a news
release from the paper company. 

While half of Canadians actively seek out environmentally
friendly food packaging, nearly one-third said they are also proactive about
finding restaurants that embrace sustainable practices, including products
packaged with recyclable or compostable content, according to the survey. In
particular, nearly half (44 per cent) of millennials (aged 18 to 34) research
the environmental sustainability practices of restaurants.

The survey, conducted by business research firm Opinion
Research Corporation International, was completed in late September. About
1,000 Canadians and 1,000 Americans were interviewed across the two countries.

Generally, Canadian females tends to have more sustainable
attitudes. Overall, the results showed that Canadians had stronger attitudes
when it comes to food packaging compared to Americans.

Among the findings:

• 77 per cent of Canadians want more environmentally-friendly
  / green packaging for food products. Baby boomers (55-plus) felt the most
  strongly about this issue (82 per cent). The Canadian results were
  significantly higher than American attitudes at 62 per cent.
• 58 per cent of Canadians seek out food that is packaged in
  containers that can be recycled or reused. The Canadian results were
  significantly higher than American attitudes at 46 per cent.
• 50 per cent of Canadians actively seek out food that is
  packaging in an environmentally friendly way. More than half (53 per cent) of
  the millennials (aged 18 to 34) said they are proactive about greener food
  packaging. The Canadian results were significantly higher than American
  attitudes at 38 per cent.
• 32 per cent of Canadians actively seek out restaurants that
  embrace sustainability practices throughout their operations. Nearly half (44
  per cent) of the millennials (aged 18 to 34) said they research their
  restaurants for their practices. The Canadian results were very similar to
  American attitudes at 31 per cent.