As sustainability laws reshape packaging, consumer insight is a competitive advantage

Brands are replacing plastic packaging to keep pace with new sustainability laws. As material changes to packaging become mandatory, producers must figure out how to do so while remaining on-brand. Luckily, newly published research from Quad¹ (NYSE: QUAD) reveals that sustainable packaging changes can not only increase successful recycling outcomes, but also positively shape consumers' brand perception.

The study of e-commerce shoppers was presented this week at SPC Advance by Dr. Mengmeng Zhao, Associate Research Director at Quad's premarket testing group Accelerated Marketing Insights (AMI) and a Path to Purchase Institute 40 Under 40 honoree. The research conducted on behalf of Seaman Paper analyzed consumer behavior and sentiment around their Vela™ packaging, a 100% paper-based alternative to traditional flexible plastic packaging. The at-home e-commerce experiment sought to understand whether the material could offer a more sustainable packaging option, and how changing such a familiar material could affect the consumer experience.

The findings were significant for the Sustainable Packaging Coalition audience:

"The study shows sustainable alternatives can be both compliant and a positive brand experience," said Dr. Zhao, Associate Research Director at Quad's AMI. "The research is particularly important as the rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws put packaging producers another step closer to a future where they bear greater responsibility for what happens to packaging at the end of its useful life. For brands navigating these laws, especially e-commerce brands whose packaging doubles as a first physical brand experience, being able to test new packaging before it goes into market is a huge competitive advantage."

For an online purchase, packaging may be the first physical interaction a consumer has with a brand. Without a retail environment to provide context, the package itself must communicate quality, brand identity, and what the consumer should do with it after opening.

With the right marketing activation partners, brands don't necessarily have to wait until launch to understand how consumers will respond.

Quad's Accelerated Marketing Insights (AMI) uses premarket consumer research to help brands evaluate packaging and other marketing experiences before they enter the market. Behavioral tools such as eye tracking can reveal not simply what consumers say they prefer, but what they notice, how they interact with a package and whether its intended messages are understood.

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¹ Citation: Zhao, Mengmeng, Shannon Anderson, Rupert Andrew Hurley, Kirsty McLaren, Skylar Sirdashney, Greta Joneson, Leah Ivancic, Carol Pan, and Tim Ohnmacht. "Consumer Responses to Packaging Materials in E-Commerce: Effects on Visual Attention, Disposal Behavior, and Brand Perception." Sustainability 18, no. 13 (2026): 6568. (link: https://doi.org/10.3390/su18136568)