Study: Shoppers moving toward plastic packaging, but many still strongly avoid plastic
Nearly one-quarter (23%) of consumers said they avoid buying produce in plastic packaging whenever possible.
Nearly one-third of shoppers prefer to buy their fresh foods in plastic containers, whether in bags, clamshells or overwrap, according to a study by Category Partners (CP), Idaho Falls, Idaho. That number varies somewhat by department, with 39% of respondents saying they prefer to buy fresh meat in plastic packaging, compared to a somewhat lower 29% of respondents, who prefer to buy produce in plastic packaging.
On the other side of the scale, there are consumers who do not want their fresh foods in plastic. Nearly one-quarter (23%) of consumers said they avoid buying produce in plastic packaging whenever possible. Again, the numbers vary by department, with 12% avoiding meat packaged in plastic, and an equal number avoiding deli items in plastic packaging. Furthermore, across all fresh departments, nearly 40% said they do not care either way.