Packaging, the environment, and European legislation: marketing's response

There is pressure from both consumers and the European Union or EU (formerly the European Community or EC) for companies to adapt their activities in order to minimize the imapct on the environment. This paper reviews literature relating to packaging, the environment, and European legislation, and then identifies the current status of the proposed EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste. To gain an insight into packaging and the directive, a survey was conducted with UK Marketing executives involved in the production of consumer goods. The survey found that the primary function of packaging is to protect the product until it is ready for use. The Marketing function carried the most influence within the organization when it came to making packaging decisions and, in the majority of cases, packaging accounted for less than 10% of overall product costs.