Consumers´ perceptions toward eco-friendly food packages. A review of theories, models, and recent studies

Resumen

Packaging has an important role in influencing purchasing decisions. But, at the same time, packaging waste poses serious environmental problems, and the increasing consciousness of consumers toward ecological matters raises the demand for ecological products and eco-friendly or green packaging. Thus, packaging sustainability denotes a significant issue for both industrials and retailers. Enterprises not only must consider packaging improvements to reduce materials to enhance the recycled content. Nowadays, three trends are driving food and beverage packing design: rightsizing, sustainability, and food waste. In addition, any intended improvement in packaging design should study a number of key dimensions related to consumers’ perceptions, among others that affect their purchase intention and willingness to pay. The purpose of this research is to review main theories of consumer behavior and models of consumer responses to packaging, as well as to address recent studies related to consumers’ perception of ecological packaging of food products, in order to outline alternatives for future studies on this relevant topic with environmental and business practice implications.