Marketing, sales and consumer behaviour – August 2026

Packaging materials – market information
A new report (3.11 MB) by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) estimates that 42.8 Mt of packaging was placed on the EU market in 2024. Over the study period 2011-2025, total packaging quantities remained broadly stable with only plastic showing an upward trend with a growth of 11%.
The 2025 Key Statistics Report (3.65 MB) published by Cepi shows that the production of paper and board in Europe decreased by 1.6% in 2025 compared to 2024. Production of packaging grades remained stable.
Fibre-based food packaging is on course to become the leading sustainable material by 2045, driven by barrier coating technologies, tightening global regulation, and a consumer shift. These are among the findings of a global study published by UPM Specialty Materials and Smithers. You can receive the report by email after filling in your details.
According to Aeternus, the packaging company acquisition market in the Netherlands remains dynamic. The market is discussed in a recent article (in Dutch).

Packaging and consumer behaviour
University of Arkansas researchers studied how transparent windows on rice packaging affect purchase intention. They found that transparent windows influenced purchase intention in both digital and physical packaging settings, but the most effective window area differed per setting. The study (5.52 MB) is published in Food Research International.
Researchers at the University of Rennes studied how packaging colour dimensions—hue, saturation, and brightness—influence consumer perceptions of food tastiness and healthiness. They found that warm hues generally increase expectations of sweetness and flavour intensity and that darker and more saturated colours tend to signal less healthy but tastier products. The study (4.06 MB) is published in Food Quality and Preference.

Packaging and sustainability/environment
Amcor research reveals that refill packaging is now well established across personal care categories, including shower and bath products, haircare and handwash liquid soap. The research highlights the factors shaping consumer attitudes, with affordability emerging as the strongest driver of future adoption.
According to a PMMI report, 82% of end users are actively engaged in sustainability initiatives, while 64% of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) say sustainability directly influences equipment design decisions. You can download the report after filling in your details.
New research commissioned by Xampla (152 kB), has found that 74% of the public wants major sporting events, such as the World Cup football, to use only plastic-free food packaging.

Labels and claims on packaging
The Circular Reality Scan 2026 (14.96 MB), an Ipsos survey commissioned by Renewi, shows that consumers in Belgium and the Netherlands expect companies to do more with recycled materials, but recycling labels and claims have limited influence on purchasing decisions.
A recent US survey by ALPLA shows how unclear sustainability claims on packaging shape shopper behaviour at the shelf and how consumer confusion can weaken trust in the brands using them.
JRC has published a report (1.75 MB) entitled ‘Labels as policy instruments - What does the literature tell us about the design of information on labels?’
 

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