Claims, certifications and indications concerning the sustainability of food products and the recycling of packaging are now widespread on labels and much appreciated by modern consumers, sensitive to environmental issues. This trend has been recently measured by Osservatorio Immagino, the six-monthly monitoring carried out by GS1 Italy.
More than 120 thousand products have been analyzed, accounting for about 39 billion euros of sales and 82.6% share of total sales in hypermarkets and supermarkets in 2020. More than 26 thousand products, or 22%, have at least one sustainability-related claim on their packaging. Last year they achieved more than 10 billion euros in turnover, up +7.6% compared to 2019.
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SUSTAINABILITY AND RECYCLABILITY ON THE LABEL
“The analysis made it possible to measure how much sustainability has increasingly become a communication issue, and how this phenomenon involves both supply and demand. During 2020 we detected a greater commitment on the part of companies in the face of a growing sensitivity on the part of consumers,” says Marco Cuppini, research and communication director of GS1 Italy.
The attention to sustainability issue comes also in the circularity in each phase of the life-cycle of products, from production to waste management. Compared to last June, the number of products that indicate on their labels whether and how to recycle their packaging has increased by +3%. Sales of references that communicate the recyclability of the packaging have also increased, while, on the contrary, the balance has been negative for products without these claims on the label.
THE WEIGHT OF COVID-19 ON CONSUMPTION HABITS
In 2020, the pandemic has affected Italians consumption habits as well. The shopping cart has been filled with products that recall their Italian origin on the label. Claims such as “Made in Italy”, “Protected Geographical Indications” or the specification of regional origin on labels have become a significant trend.
Buying products that come from nearby areas seems to be a further reassurance in this period for Italian consumers. Moreover, the so-called “Covid effect” makes people prefer products that have at least one claim on the label that can be associated to the new requirements dictated by the spread of the pandemic.