How do consumers respond to unpackaged food? And how can the producers and supermarkets design solutions that rely less on single-use packaging? These are some questions explored by PhD student Elena Jiménez Romanillos.
“The background is that single-use packaging consumes a lot of resources and causes emissions. If we could use it only where it’s truly needed, we would help protect the environment,” says Elena Jiménez Romanillos, PhD student in design and product realisation at Linköping University.
“Some key challenges involve finding a balance between consumer convenience and the environmental benefits of reducing packaging.”
At the same time, all packaging can't be removed, as it contributes to preservation and longer shelf life.
“Producing meat, for example, requires a lot of energy. A vacuum package can significantly extend the product’s shelf life. In that context, packaging can also be an environmentally sustainable option.”
Different types
Using surveys, interviews, and observations, Elena Jiménez Romanillos has identified different types of consumer behaviors.
“Some are driven by price. That means they choose packaging-free products if they’re the cheapest. Others are motivated by sustainability and make choices based on that. In both cases, it can lead to travelling between different shops to find what they’re looking for, which in turn can cause unnecessary transport emissions.”
Another group is more practically oriented and may prefer home delivery of food, regardless of whether it’s individually packaged or not. But they might still go to a nearby store to supplement their purchases. Emissions are distributed differently across consumer behaviours, whether through shop visits, home delivery, or how products are stored and disposed of, depending on each group’s priorities.Food waste
Food waste
“So we can observe that there are many different types of behaviors that ultimately affect emissions. And not everything is driven by packaging. But it is part of the overall system that shapes how we buy food.”
In a later part of the study, Elena Jiménez Romanillos will attempt to quantify these behaviors. Since she works in product design, she’s also interested in practical solutions for consumers.
“One challenge is that we throw away a lot of food. That’s why portion packaging can be an option. It helps consumers to buy the right amount of food.”
Prototype
“I’ve developed a prototype, but it’s far from finished. Some ideas include that you, as a consumer, bring your own container, a jar or something similar, which you fill up. But you could also get some kind of signal about the portion sizes,” says Elena Jiménez Romanillos.
Packaging-free products already exist in some parts of shops, such as the vegetables section, pick-and-mix sweets, and sometimes the tea shelf.
“It’s nothing new to us. But it’s exciting to think about how these could be developed and expanded. There are hygiene aspects and practical issues. But much of it is also about changing the way we think,” says Elena Jiménez Romanillos.
During her interviews and meetings with consumers, she also asked how they feel about using a container multiple times and bringing it to the store to refill.
“For many, it doesn’t seem to be a problem. One of the participants said she had used the same container for grains for 40 years. And never washed it!”
