Eviosys has surveyed 2000 Europeans in the UK, France, Germany and Spain to get the latest information on consumer priorities in this time of economic uncertainty.

The survey confirms that 72% of consumers will not trade off sustainability even as inflation worries loom. The new data shows that despite the rising cost of living, the majority of western Europeans (61%) would still consider paying more for sustainably packaged products.

Fully recyclable metal packaging doesn’t need refrigeration and can be stored longer. It can help consumers on both cost of living and environmental fronts. 

Because of the scale of inflation, consumers are already changing their behaviours, with 72% saying they won’t compromise on sustainability and 38% of consumers are planning a smaller Christmas (UK 43%, Germany 31%, Spain 42%, France 35%).

30% plan to buy smaller gifts, like limited edition chocolates and candies (UK 22%, Germany 33%, Spain 52%, France 13%), which satisfies the balance of cost with sustainability as these often come packaged in metal containers.

Key stats and insights:

Cost of living

• The poll found that 77% of Britons ranked the cost of living as their top concern compared to 66% of Spanish, 63% of Germans and 59% of French.

• Across Europe there are differing opinions of tinned food, with 31% of Spanish and a quarter of German consumers viewing it as a premium product. However only 11% of British consumers share their views.

Sustainability

• 81% of consumers care about the environment and 61% would consider paying more for a product that was sustainably packaged.

• The majority of shoppers (62%) are angry or frustrated about the amount of plastic in supermarket aisles, with Germans the most annoyed (74%).

• Three quarters (74%) of respondents consider metal packaging more sustainable than plastic.

The demand for sustainable alternatives

73% of respondents don’t think companies are doing enough to tackle plastic pollution.

70% of Europeans said they cared about the type of packaging available to them, and as education around sustainable living and recycling grows, demand for circular packaging options will rapidly increase.

Most respondents (68%) know that metal packaging is infinitely recyclable and, knowing that, more than four in five (85%) would be more likely to buy a product in metal packaging.

Leading by example and taking actions to propose even more sustainable metal packaging solutions, Eviosys unveiled its new ESG programme, Preserve Together, accelerating decarbonisation, with ambitious plans to reduce the carbon footprint of products in scopes 1 and 2 by 20% by 2027 (compared to 2020) on the way to Net Zero by 2050.

Major actions include for instance:

• Upgrading curing equipment to cut gas consumption by 60%
• Installing smart compressors to save up to 40% electricity
• Switch to LED lights in all plants that save up to 90% electricity
• Install solar panels to generate up to 30% of our own consumption

Light weighting our product lines

Eviosys’ Preserve Together programme also includes innovating inclusive products, upgraded to be handled and used easily by everyone such as metal closure Orbit, which is twice as easy to open as a standard metal closure and drastically improves the accessibility of our products for those with mobility

issues.

Cost of living worries

More than three quarters of consumers interviewed (79%) already buy tinned food at least once per month.

A quarter of people (28%) think buying canned food is an effective way to save money and 40% say they will buy more tinned food to help weather the cost-of-living crisis.

As food cans can be stored longer, they allow for more flexible meal organisation, avoiding food waste, which both preserves our planet and consumers’ budget.

Without the need for refrigeration, choosing canned food also helps the full supply chain (food brands, logistic centres, transportation companies and distributors) to save on energy.

Olivier Aubry, chief commercial ffficer, Eviosys said: “This survey confirms Eviosys is making the right choices by investing in sustainability, transforming our company to lead by example, with the dedication of all Eviosys employees but also in partnership with our customers and suppliers.”

“Consumers are not abandoning their stances on plastic pollution, climate change and the environment. Tinned food can be an answer to many pressing issues at once.”