Complete Story
12/10/2025
2025 Trend Tracker Reveals Consumer Preferences for Packaging
Source: Two Sides N.A., September 16, 2025
As consumers grow more environmentally conscious, their preferences for packaging are shifting in clear and measurable ways.
The 2025 Two Sides Trend Tracker Report highlights that packaging is no longer viewed as just a functional necessity—it is now an important reflection of sustainability values, brand responsibility, and consumer expectations.
Paper Packaging Takes the Lead on Sustainability
The survey shows that paper and cardboard packaging remain the preferred choice across multiple attributes. When asked to compare paper, plastic, glass, and metal, consumers consistently selected paper/cardboard for key environmental advantages:
- 67% prefer paper packaging because it is the most compostable/biodegradable
- 49% say paper/cardboard is best for the environment overall
- 46% find it the easiest material to recycle
The Trend Tracker Canada results show an even stronger consumer preferences for paper and cardboard packaging over multiple attributes, with 76% preferring paper packaging for being compostable/biodegradable, 57% claiming it’s best for the environment, and 59% saying paper is easiest to recycle.
The survey shows that in 10 out of 15 attributes, paper leads the way. This clear preference reinforces the advantages of paper packaging as part of the circular economy, where renewable resources, recyclability, and biodegradability matter most.
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