Consumers often have a different perspective on packaging materials than packaging developers. They are quick to view packaging materials as waste, even though the volume of packaging materials in Dutch waste streams is limited. Consumers may also feel annoyed when disposing of packaging materials, for example because they are left with a lot of material to get rid of or because the packaging is hard to separate properly upon disposal. Such feelings of annoyance may result in negative brand associations.
It is therefore important to keep the consumer experience regarding the disposal of packaging materials in mind. This can be done by taking the sustainability and the disposal phase of packaging materials into account during the design process, for example by using fewer raw materials and by looking into where the packaging ends up after use.