HOW YOUTH CULTURE
IS TRANSFORMING THE
DRINKS INDUSTRY
S
u s t a i n a b i l i t y,
premiumisation,
wellness,
transparency
and traceability
– all these trends that have
come to defi ne the shape of
the consumer industries in
recent years have in many
ways been a reaction to a
younger and increasingly
conscious consumer base.
That is not to say that older
consumers are not coming
along with the change, but
the trends have really found
their roots in millennials
and Gen Z, and it is these
consumers that are driving
the change forwards.
Consider the Extinction
Rebellion, a climate protest
largely driven by very young
people, including children,
which nevertheless forced a
fresh public reckoning with
environmental issues.
With such change at the
forefront of these consumer
groups’ minds, it is not
surprising that brands have
looked to capitalise on
the notion of ‘conscious’
capitalism. Perhaps most
notable in the broad
shift towards sustainable
packaging and the clamour
for products that provide
healthy functionality, brands
have taken note of a class
of consumers that are
conscious, connected, and
willing to reward brands that
align with their ethics. whole finding increasing
purchase in the public
conscience, it is becoming
vital for manufacturers to
develop sustainable packaging
solutions and for retailers to
take a stance against plastic.
Environmental ethics
drive consumer
behaviour “The younger generation
is calling for the packaging
industry to rethink its
relationship with flexible
packaging, which most of the
time isn’t even recyclable,
let alone compostable,”
says Merav Koren, VP of
marketing at TIPA. “Our
At the forefront of the
minds of both consumers
and industry alike are
sustainability and the issues
of plastic and waste. With
environmental issues as a
Drink Asia
27
This is pushing companies to
not only reduce their waste
and plastic usage but also
to look into new areas such
as compostable packaging.
Although progress has been
incremental, there is a sense
that we are starting to reach
a tipping point.
March-April 2020
own research shows 49%
of Gen Z and 50% of
millennials in the UK believe
retailers are responsible for
reducing plastic waste to
benefi t the environment. In
addition, when considering
the use of compostable
packaging – which
decomposes leaving zero
trace in the environment
– as opposed to recyclable
packaging which ends up as
plastic waste, 34% of Gen
Z and 35% of millennials
say they think compostable
packaging is under-utilised
by brands.
“As such, there is no doubt
that plastic has become
a critical issue for young
shoppers. This shift in
attitude is forcing the industry
to change its ways; packaging
manufacturers are realising
that they can no longer