Why everyone is confused about what ‘eco-friendly’ actually means
Press
To gain a deeper understanding of perceptions of sustainable packaging, Smart Design asked 300 “green-leaning” people to evaluate the environmental pros and cons of different materials and packaging solutions. Fast Company recently reported on our work by Charlie Paradise and Jamie Munger.
It should be a straightforward question. We’re bombarded daily with news and messages about the environment, often in great detail. We know about deforestation in the Amazon, a dwindling ice pack in the Arctic, and a big patch of plastic garbage floating somewhere in the Pacific. We know that recycling is better than landfill, and reusable is best of all. Given all the information at our fingertips, choosing sustainable packaging options ought to be a snap, no matter what we buy. Right?
But it’s not—not by a long shot. Smart Design conducted research last year into consumer perceptions around the environmental impact of different packaging materials. And one of the clearest findings was that nobody’s clear about anything. There’s widespread confusion about which materials are best for the earth and plenty of common beliefs that are nearly the opposite of reality.
Read the full article in Fast Company
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