How Brands Can Rewire Consumer Behavior Away From Single-Use

For years, the business of consumer packaged goods was built around the core principles of production and rapid, single-use consumption. Success was measured around the demand and use that businesses can encourage — and the profit this generates. 
 
It's now become clear that this model had a huge impact on the planet, leading to irresponsible consumption. So, when it comes to sustainability, these businesses now have a crucial part to play and a responsibility to reverse this behavior. 

Research has repeatedly shown that consumers view brands as equally accountable — if not more so — than governments in driving responsible consumption. According to a recent Nielsen IQ survey, for example, 46 percent look to brands to take the lead on creating sustainable change. 

Consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs) need to recognize and embrace that significant change will only happen if they help lead the way. 

Balancing consumption drivers

The challenge is that driving responsible consumption is push and pull. On the one hand, it’s about changing what consumers expect and will accept by using innovation to answer those evolving needs. Promises of low cost and high performance will always be a priority for consumers, so it’s up to brands to show consumers that sustainable consumption doesn’t have to mean a compromise on those key drivers.

But equally important is the realization that behavior has evolved to the point of consumers expecting and seeking instant gratification — the quick hit of dopamine that comes with so many fast-moving goods. People are buying into experiences and feelings with every single-use purchase. So, alongside making the sustainable choice convenient and cost-effective and addressing functional requirements, brands need to address this and rewire what satisfaction looks like. 

Fashion sites like Vinted and Vestiaire Collective have taken some great strides here. As fashion resale sites, they have made the thrill of the sustainable chase exciting and turned it into strong social currency.

CPGs need to do the same. It’s arguably harder with a cleaning product or bottled water to land on what that thrill could look like. Method was an early example of a brand recognizing that the sustainable option could offer the style and cultural cachet worthy of a social media grid. While sustainability metrics have moved on since then, the brand still shows how a conventional, functional or even ‘boring’ category can change the game.

A more recent example is Evian launching its (Re)new product, a refillable water dispenser bringing Evian natural mineral water into the home using 60 percent less plastic packaging, back in 2021. Developed and launched with the late Virgil Abloh as creative advisor, it marked an ambitious step in the brand’s move away from single-use bottles. 

Uncovering the secondary benefits

This is where brands can have significant impact. If sustainability goals force them to explore new product and pack experiences, why not look at the whole consumer journey to revolutionize behavior? Through this process, they can potentially identify other pain points, where the solution goes hand-in-hand with the more sustainable option. It’s such a golden chance to rethink engagement and interaction — and influence consumption for the better. 

Take concentrated toothpaste tablets for example, such as Smyle or Pärla. They were driven by the need to eliminate the transport of excess liquid around the world, which is also needed in the formulation of conventional toothpaste, but they have the added benefit of being more portable. Who walks around with a tube of toothpaste in their clutch bag? Taking two tablets on the go is much more convenient. 

Suddenly, in your drive for sustainability, you can meet an unmet need and deliver a secondary benefit to really encourage a shift.

Shifting the single-use mindset

The key is to realize and embrace that the single-use mindset can only take you so far in an age where more and more legislation against it is on the horizon. In France, for example, supermarkets are being forced to address single-use plastic. By 2030, 20 percent of their floor space will need to be dedicated to refill systems. But there are so many companies that are still not doing enough on reuse, reduce and return. Startups often lead the way, with refill deodorants, direct-to-consumer subscription toilet paper and refillable cleaning products. Large global players need to keep up. 

In addition to addressing the single-use mindset, companies need to invest in wider sustainability drives. Take inspiration from Patagonia’s repair centers across the world, U.K. retailer M&S following suit with its own clothing repair services, or Nestlé investing in a new plastic recycling plant in the U.K. 

Looking at services that support more sustainable consumer behavior is just as important as product innovation. This goes right down to thinking about last-mile logistics to help your products travel shorter distances and encouraging a more decentralized and bespoke approach to sustainable solutions. 

Ultimately, brands need to realize that the call for sustainability isn’t just another trend. It’s an imperative. It must be brand and government led; we cannot afford to wait for it to become fully consumer led. Moreover, it requires radical changes. With innovation, brands often want to start small to see how much traction an idea will gain. But the time for viewing sustainability as a niche part of your innovation pipeline is over. It must become the fundamental tenet your brand is built around.