Editor’s note: Tom Newmaster is founder and partner of branding and packaging design firm FORCEpkg, Myerstown, Pa. 

In a recent Bloomberg article by Leslie Kaufman, "Plastics Had Been Falling Out of Favor. Then Came the Virus,” an interesting image sits at the top of the piece. It’s a grocery store display of apples (two per serving) covered in plastic wrap and sitting in plastic trays. It begs the question: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, does it make more sense to have that plastic protection than to sell apples the traditional way? 

Pre-packed foods such as salad bowls, single-serve yogurt and fruit salads, and, yes, water bottles, are still in demand. Plastic has a convenience factor, but it’s now also seen as a safety factor. Single-serve alone works against cross-contamination (fewer people handling a package and then disposing of it). With our clients, the recent discussions around packaging are based more on health and safety than impacts on the planet. 

We are in unchartered waters. Take-out containers and plastic bags are being used now in an effort to supply consumers and slow the spread of the virus. At this specific moment in our history, political correctness about how we dispose of plastic has to be balanced against the threat of COVID-19. Killing all plastic is not the answer.single-use plastics

Reusable cups and bags

In the rage to recycle, we seem to have forgotten about what made plastics so popular in the first place. As the Bloomberg article points out, one reason for the rise of plastic in so many industries was its protective qualities. Throwaway syringes were a historical godsend to medicine, not to mention the plastic surgical masks we’re all wearing today. Even in the area of sustainability, plastic parts in automobiles reduced waste and improved fuel efficiency.

But in the food service industry, there has been a nationwide move to encourage the use of reusables like grocery bags and coffee cups. However, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “War on Plastic Takes a Back Seat in Corona Virus Crisis,” had this to say: “Starbucks, Dunkin’ Brands Group and Tim Hortons – owned by Restaurant Brands International, Inc. – have all stopped filling customers’ reusable cups, a U-turn after years of encouraging them.”

The article went on to say, “‘When something is as transmissible as this [COVID-19], you want to minimize all possibilities,’ said Jonathan Abraham, an assistant professor of microbiology at Harvard Medical School. ‘It’s better to be extra careful than assume it’s overkill.’”

Human nature 

Full transparency: my firm is in the business of branding and packaging design. It’s our job to create the most sustainable and cost-effective packaging solutions for the brands we serve. Plastic is one of the instruments in our toolbox. Brands have a lot to consider, such as product protection, child resistance, ability to communicate with the consumer and recyclability. In that area, plastic has made strides – but human nature hasn’t really kept up. 

I run a design agency populated in large part by Millennials and am the parent to Millennial and Gen Z kids. I also teach packaging design at a college. So, I am a witness to recycling on a personal and a professional level. When I ask my packaging students how much the words “recycled” and “recyclable” matter to them, I get a mixed response. Certainly, the number of those who say it does is increasing, but it’s nowhere near a majority. And when I observe their own behaviors in disposing their trash, let me borrow the saying, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Research backs this up. A February 2020 piece in Forbes cites the following research: “When it actually comes to reducing or reversing our carbon footprints, evidence shows older age groups are way ahead of Millennials and Gen Z.” Here are some data points from that study:

  • Recycling – 84% Boomers to 54% Millennials and Gen Z. 
  • Avoiding single use plastic items – 66% Boomers vs. 55% Millennials and Gen Z.
  • Only eating seasonal fruits and veggies – 47% Boomers vs. 33% Millennials and Gen Z.

Convenience is a way of life 

The difficulty that many find when it comes to recycling plastic is that behavior has more to do with convenience than it does with conscience. Nobody wants to be the person responsible for the straw stuck up the nose of the sea turtle. But when it comes to everyday habits, it’s not the sea turtle most people are thinking about. 

A recent article in Ad Age focuses on brands that are thriving during the COVID-19 outbreak. Among those showcased are Lysol, Clorox, Purell, Scotch Brit and the iconic Campbells Soup. All have been on the receiving end of criticism from the environmental movement, but during the current pandemic, safety is winning out over other concerns.

On the flip-side, we can’t discount those nation-size floating islands of plastic. But, is it the plastic or human behavior that needs to change? In my opinion, we must find ways to address the human error component. Maybe the COVID-19 pandemic is offering a forced pause that will allow us to reexamine the impacts we have on our environment and on each other.

So, what can brands do?

First, brands can make safety a priority. As brands look through the lens of virus transmission and/or disposal of product or packaging, safety should always be a concern – and right now, safety has moved to the top of the list. To accommodate customer fear over this issue, it helps to clearly display your corporate policy on packaging, advertising and websites.

Research is critical. Over the past six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, things have been moving quickly. That includes new products (particularly in the PPE arena) as well as products and product labeling. Many of these have been launched based on gut feelings and emotional responses – such as consumers emptying the shelves of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. We will need solid research involving long-term customer buying habits and trends to truly understand purchase intent. Brands need to understand that when the emotional consumer response to COVID-19 calms down, we may see a steep drop in sales velocity … or a sorting out.

It is also important to note that right now, brand matters less. It’s all about need. It doesn’t really matter the brand of hand sanitizer – consumers just want to see an adequate supply. After the dust settles, consumers will most likely slide back into brand preference, especially if the brand resonates in an authentic way.