Finnish confectionery manufacturing SMEs’ attitudes towards environmentally sustainable packaging
Lammi, Milja (2021)
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021053112574
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021053112574
Tiivistelmä
In 2017, the production of plastic increased 4.4 million tons from the previous year. Because of several negative impacts of current packaging on environment and human health, change is needed before it is too late.
This thesis discusses the attitudes of Finnish small and medium-sized (SME) confectionery enterprises towards environmentally sustainable food packaging. The research is conducted using qualitative research methods. Six Finnish SMEs from the confectionery industry are interviewed and challenges around the issue are reviewed. The respondents’ current level of knowledge, packaging solutions, perceptions about environmental sustainability and readiness for new solutions are examined. The analysis of the results attempts to answer the research question “what are the Finnish confectionery manufacturing SMEs’ attitudes towards environmentally sustainable packaging?”
The results show that Finnish confectionery manufacturing SMEs’ have a medium level of understanding of environmental sustainability and environmentally sustainable packaging. The reasons behind the medium level knowledge can lie on the small size of the companies, time restrictions and focus on financial growth. Appearance is ranked as the most important factor considering packaging, which indicates the importance of consumers’ and commercial mind-set. Despite of these findings, the SMEs do not feel consumer pressure for environmentally sustainable food packaging and make changes for internal reasons. In addition, packaging suppliers have a major impact on confectionery SMEs’ decision-making. Most of the confectionery SMEs feel that are making an extra effort considering environmental sustainability. However, they are not taking too much responsibility and it is somehow pushed away. The interest towards environmentally sustainable innovations is very high, which makes the situation favourable for further research, projects and experiments.
This thesis discusses the attitudes of Finnish small and medium-sized (SME) confectionery enterprises towards environmentally sustainable food packaging. The research is conducted using qualitative research methods. Six Finnish SMEs from the confectionery industry are interviewed and challenges around the issue are reviewed. The respondents’ current level of knowledge, packaging solutions, perceptions about environmental sustainability and readiness for new solutions are examined. The analysis of the results attempts to answer the research question “what are the Finnish confectionery manufacturing SMEs’ attitudes towards environmentally sustainable packaging?”
The results show that Finnish confectionery manufacturing SMEs’ have a medium level of understanding of environmental sustainability and environmentally sustainable packaging. The reasons behind the medium level knowledge can lie on the small size of the companies, time restrictions and focus on financial growth. Appearance is ranked as the most important factor considering packaging, which indicates the importance of consumers’ and commercial mind-set. Despite of these findings, the SMEs do not feel consumer pressure for environmentally sustainable food packaging and make changes for internal reasons. In addition, packaging suppliers have a major impact on confectionery SMEs’ decision-making. Most of the confectionery SMEs feel that are making an extra effort considering environmental sustainability. However, they are not taking too much responsibility and it is somehow pushed away. The interest towards environmentally sustainable innovations is very high, which makes the situation favourable for further research, projects and experiments.