Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The consumer
- Plastic waste ranks top in packaging waste
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- Figure 1: Production of packaging waste, December 2019
- Cardboard box usage driven by online shopping, especially among high-income families
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- Figure 2: Use of cardboard boxes, by selected demographics, December 2019
- High awareness of recycling cardboard boxes and plastic bottles
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- Figure 3: Recycling behaviours, December 2019
- Over 70% of plastic boxes and polystyrene trays end up in rubbish dumps
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- Figure 4: Recycling behaviours, December 2019
- Avoiding single-use items and reusing packaging has become common sense
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- Figure 5: Sustainable efforts in purchasing, December 2019
- Bulk and refill packs welcomed by families with children
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- Figure 6: Buying larger bulk packs instead of lots of smaller individual packs, by family structure, December 2019
- Figure 7: Buying refill packs instead of a new whole pack, by family structure, December 2019
- Trendy “own packaging” for shopping is an opportunity
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- Figure 8: Using own packaging for shopping, by education level, December 2019
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- Figure 9: Developing a new habit of waste recycling is trendy, by education level, December 2019
- High awareness of using less water and reducing food waste
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- Figure 10: Sustainable efforts in lifestyles, December 2019
- Smart home appliances could help to achieve sustainability
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- Figure 11: Selected sustainable efforts in lifestyles, by monthly household income, December 2019
- Waste disposal issue perceived as urgent but not a priority
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- Figure 12: Consciousness of urgency, by city tier, December 2019
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- Figure 13: Corporate responsibility areas, March 2020
- Importance of brands’ seeking support and help from consumers
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- Figure 14: It should be the responsibility of manufacturers/brands rather than consumers to do recycling, by monthly household income, December 2019
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- Figure 15: I will follow others to do recycling, instead of being the first to do it, By monthly household income, December 2019
- Perception of reduction of plastic usage and packaging not optimistic compared with other countries
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- Figure 16: Sustainability factors, by country, July 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Eco-chic trend in reusable packs
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 17: Starbucks cup collection
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- Figure 18: Other reusable pack formats
- Convenient waste collection system
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 19: Online recycle station
- Fun and customised experience of refill station
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 20: Refill stations
Market Factors
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- Growth of delivery services worsens packaging problem
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- Figure 21: Number of parcels, 2015-19
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- Figure 22: Users of food delivery services, 2016-19
- Strict waste regulations take effect
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- Figure 23: Garbage sorting station
- Power of social media in communicating sustainability
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- Figure 24: A sustainability-related campaign
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Plastic waste ranks top in packaging waste
- Over 70% of plastic boxes and polystyrene trays end up in rubbish dumps
- Trendy “own packaging” for shopping is an opportunity
- Smart home appliances could help to achieve sustainability
- Waste disposal issue perceived as urgent but not a priority
Production of Packaging Waste
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- Plastic waste ranks the top in packaging waste
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- Figure 25: Production of packaging waste, December 2019
- Plastic box waste related to “single economy”
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- Figure 26: Use of plastic boxes, by family structure, December 2019
- More plastic drinks bottles produced by the high-income group
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- Figure 27: Use of plastic bottles, by monthly household income, December 2019
- Polystyrene tray waste increases with fresh grocery shopping in supermarkets or online
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- Figure 28: Use of polystyrene boxes/trays, by selected demographics, December 2019
- Cardboard box usage driven by online shopping, especially among high-income families
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- Figure 29: Use of Cardboard boxes, by selected demographics, December 2019
Recycling Behaviours
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- High awareness of recycling cardboard boxes and plastic bottles
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- Figure 30: Recycling behaviours, December 2019
- Over 70% of plastic boxes and polystyrene trays end up in rubbish dumps
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- Figure 31: Recycling behaviours, December 2019
- Harmful waste recycling awareness is low among people with low educational background
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- Figure 32: Recycling behaviours, by education level, December 2019
- Young people are more active in used clothes recycling
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- Figure 33: Recycling behaviours, by age group, December 2019
- Collecting and recycling food waste are two different concepts
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- Figure 34: Recycling of food waste, by city, December 2019
Sustainable Efforts in Purchasing
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- Avoiding single-use items and reusing packaging has become common sense
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- Figure 35: Sustainable efforts in purchasing, December 2019
- Bulk and refill packs welcomed by families with children
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- Figure 36: Buying larger bulk packs instead of lots of smaller individual packs, by family structure, December 2019
- Figure 37: Buying refill packs instead of a new whole pack, by family structure, December 2019
- Paid recyclable/biodegradable packaging has more potential in the future
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- Figure 38: Buying products with recyclable/biodegradable packaging, by monthly household income, December 2019
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- Figure 39: I am willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, by monthly household income, December 2019
- Trendy “own packaging” for shopping is an opportunity
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- Figure 40: Using own packaging for shopping, by education level, December 2019
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- Figure 41: Developing a new habit of waste recycling is trendy, by education level, December 2019
- Brands’ recycling activities could be restricted by geographic differences
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- Figure 42: Sending product packaging back to brands for recycling, by city tier, December 2019
Sustainable Efforts in Lifestyles
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- High awareness of using less water and reducing food waste
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- Figure 43: Sustainable efforts in lifestyles, December 2019
- Willingness to compromise convenience or comfort differs in generation
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- Figure 44: Selected sustainable efforts in lifestyles, by age group, December 2019
- Smart home appliances could help to achieve sustainability
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- Figure 45: Selected sustainable efforts in lifestyles, by monthly household income, December 2019
- Women are making efforts more proactively
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- Figure 46: Selected sustainable efforts in lifestyles, by gender, December 2019
Attitudes towards Recycling
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- Waste disposal issue perceived as urgent but not a priority
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- Figure 47: Consciousness of urgency, by city tier, December 2019
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- Figure 48: Corporate responsibility areas, March 2020
- Using less outweighs doing recycling afterwards
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- Figure 49: It's more important for brands to use less packaging during production than to manage waste recycling afterwards, by family structure, December 2019
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- Figure 50: Reducing product waste is more important than reducing packaging waste, by family structure, December 2019
- Importance of brands’ seeking support and help from consumers
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- Figure 51: It should be the responsibility of manufacturers/brands rather than consumers to do recycling, by monthly household income, December 2019
- Figure 52: I will follow others to do recycling, instead of being the first to do it, by monthly household income, December 2019
- Convenience is something young consumers might find difficult to give up for waste recycling
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- Figure 53: Even if there was no penalty, I would still do recycling, by age group, December 2019
- Figure 54: I won't give up my convenience to do recycling, by age group, December 2019
- Sustainability is not the secondary issue to consider after quality
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- Figure 55: As long as the product quality is high, corporate social responsibility wouldn't affect my purchase, by gender, December 2019
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- Figure 56: Most sustainability-related activities organised by brands are just marketing gimmicks, by gender, December 2019
- Perception of reduction of plastic usage and packaging not optimistic compared with other countries
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- Figure 57: Sustainability factors, by country, July 2019
Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
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- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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