London, United Kingdom — Consumers are generally not deterred from buying products packaged in mixed-color recycled glass, according to a new U.K. study.
The study had consumers rate a wide range of products packaged in glass that had a green hue, which happens when different colored glass is mixed and recycled together. For the study, glass with 90 percent mixed-color content was used.
The results show that, for the most part, customers are just as likely to buy products in the tinted glass as in clear glass. The main exception was mayonnaise, which was overwhelmingly preferred in clear glass.
But when it came whiskey and gin, consumers said the color had no significant effect on their opinion of the product, and in the case of jam, customers actually said they were more likely to buy jam in recycled glass than in clear glass.
The U.K.'s Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) hopes that the study gives businesses more confidence to use mixed-color recycled glass, which could strengthen the market and demand for recycled glass while reducing the amount of glass separation and sorting that takes place.
WRAP is also planning a larger-scale trial for mixed-color glass. The group is looking for assistance in developing and testing infrastructure for annually turning 30,000 tonnes of mixed-color cullet into bottles with more than 90 percent recycled content. The trial will look at packaging for a variety of products and hopes to uncover any roadblocks in sourcing, processing and manufacturing high-recycled-content bottles.
The study was commissioned by the WRAP and retail chain Sainsbury's. It was conducted by Glass Technology Services, a subsidiary of British Glass, and surveyed 79 consumers' attitudes or opinions on products, including how likely they would purchase them, if they are high quality, if they are pure, if the packaging is typical, and if the food or drink appears pleasing, appetizing or fresh.
Green glass - CC license by phault