According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans produced about 254 million tons of trash in 2013, with packaging materials, such as paper and plastics, making up about 40% of that waste. In an effort to reduce their ecological footprint, more and more consumers are taking green packaging and sustainable practices into account when they shop.

According to a recent EPA survey:

• 57% of respondents said green packaging is important to them.
• 61% said they have taken it into account when deciding where to shop.

As the demand for sustainable packaging is growing at an exponential rate, the global green packaging market is expected to exhibit 6.20% CAGR between 2015 and 2021. The global market is anticipated to grow from US$132.4 billion in 2014 to $203.1 billion by the end of 2021. The increasing environmental awareness and health consciousness of consumers is driving the growth of the green packaging market.

“Today’s consumers are becoming more aware and informed on the environmental and health hazards associated with packaging waste,” says Jake Low of Packsize, the developer of On Demand Packaging, which enables organizations to create their own sustainable packaging in-house.

“More consumers are considering green packaging and other sustainable practices when choosing where to shop, and businesses need to step up their sustainability efforts if they want to remain relevant in a competitive global market,” Low says.