Consumers' environmental concerns have impact on packaged beverage industry

A recent BeveragePulse.com study by Concept Catalysts and iModerate Research Technologies found that 94 percent of Americans are concerned about the long-term effects that their packaged beverage purchases and consumption have on the environment. The free study also shows that recycling was cited frequently (45 percent) as the most important environmental concern for packaged beverages. Health concerns and economic issues also contribute to recent category declines in packaged beverage purchases.

This BeveragePulse.com report "Environmental Concerns: The impact on beverage and package decisions" contains these and many other findings such as:

• Environmental concerns are driving down the consumption of bottled water
• Although 56 percent of consumers cite recycling as a critical issue, many are not recycling at work or away from home
• Concern for environmental issues among consumers has heightened as a result of the Gulf oil spill
• Half of the respondents are confused about the meaning of sustainability, some citing it as a negative environmental attribute

The research utilized a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to explore what drives consumers' packaged beverage purchasers. The study sampled more than 500 respondents giving a margin of error of +/-4.29 at the 95 percent confidence level.

Bob Falkenberg, founder of BeveragePulse.com and president of Concept Catalyst, says, "Our research shows that consumers think about the environment when they are making beverage purchases; specifically, the findings indicate that consumers relate positively to packages that are easy to recycle. Beverage companies should start a full court press on recycling."