Research：Bio-based Packaging | 2018
Research + concept testing of bio-based packaging for Tetra-pak
2017.11 - 2018.1 // Time
Concept testing in practice // TUD Elective
Yiyun Zhang, Jingliang Shen, Yuke Song, Timo Dijkstra// Team members
Tetra Pak is the world's leading packaging solution company. The long-term goal of Tetra Pak is to have packaging fully made from renewable sources (natural resources that grow back, such as wood and sugarcane). One of the latest innovations, available for chilled food, is a 100% renewable package, composed of sustainably sourced paperboard and bio-based plastics.
Compared to fossil-based packages, Tetra Pak’s bio-based packages represent a better alternative for the environment. However, many brand owners still choose for packaging made from fossil-based materials. As little is known on the effect of the presence of bio-based material on user responses to food and beverage packages, this report focuses on positioning bio-based packaging in the supermarket.
Project brief & method
Our main research question is:
How to help Tetra Pak position its new package concept (the bio-based package) in order to stand out compared with fossil-based packages?
We conducted a focus group of 7 participants to gain an understanding of how they perceive the bio-based concept and how they recognize bio-packages. Afterward, with the insights gathered from the qualitative research, we made a quantitative survey of 96 participants to further look into their perceptions of bio-package and their willingness to purchase.
Our research results show that most consumers cannot tell the difference between the bio-based package and the fossil-based package. They interpret the bio-based concept from three aspects: sustainability, biological resources, and bio-products. Furthermore, consumers who tend to spend more on a carton of drink (milk is used as an example in the research) show more willingness to pay for the bio-based package.
Visual improvement
Due to the limited budget, the visuals were majorly adapted and modified from the old version. This nevertheless preserved some authentic characteristics from the restaurant itself.
These improvements include:
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Fix distortion and retouch photos for a more consistent outcome.
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Curate photos and modify them for highlighting content.
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Use light illustrations to aid story-telling.
Qualitative analysis
Focus group is used in qualitative research because it allows discussions and interactions among participants and therefore provides more information than interviewing participants separately.
It is easier to analyze focus group results because themes are clear and the information is aggregated.
The session lasts 45 minutes, composing 4 themes with the focuses on the understanding of the topic (bio-based packaging), the perception of current packaging, and purchase behavior for a carton-packaged product. The results were organized to refine the objectives for the next stage, quantitative testing.
Quatitative analysis
Google form is used to send out questionnaires. Partial visual stimuli from the qualitative research were adapted. The quantitative research aims to gather data from more consumers and gain deeper understanding of consumer perceptions.
Questionnaires were spread among students from TU Delft and their relatives. The only selection criteria is that participants have a basic understanding of Dutch language have purchase experience in the Netherlands. In the end, 96 valid responses were received.
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People with prior knowledge about sustainable printing and lamination prefer more minimalistic (less process involved) package. On the contrary, others may prefer the packages that induce more naturalistic illusion (ground colour, signs like green trees)
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People prefer a clear and unique symbol illustrating that the package was bio-based
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The symbol should be put on the front face near the cap.
Based on the research results, we recommend Tetra Pak using specific bio symbol to show that the package is different from fossil-based package and keeping the carton in its original rather than glossy whiteness. Moreover, we suggest Tetra Pak advice brand owners paint the carton with simple and naturalist elements instead of flaring images. Last but not least, we propose it would be wise for Tetra Pak to cooperate with brand owners (such as Alpro or Campina) whose target consumers tends to have higher expenses on beverage and care about food health or sustainability.
Reflection & More
My personal goal for this course is to experience the holistic process of qualitative to quantitative
research phase. From deciding a research topic to conducting a focus group, and from data analysis to make a recommendation, I have gained the foundational understanding of a research process as well as the topic about bio-based packaging.
Bio-based in a rising topic and was enabled by material fabrication advances. Yet, it also received controversies of the process and the overall carbon emission.
The packaging industry is heavily determined by market demands.
Packaging enterprise in developed countries like Tetra-Pak has the market and the vision for the sustainable packaging alternatives.
I regarded this project as a learning process of investigating on packaging perception towards a more conscious purchase for any daily project.
You may read the full report by clicking here (pdf).
Relevant
organizations:
