What Germany thinks (and knows) about packaging - Packaging Day 2026
Germans expect a lot from their packaging – and, on average, rate its performance as good or very good. To mark the 11th nationwide Packaging Day on 11 June 2026, the German Packaging Institute e. V. (dvi), together with eleven industry associations, published the results of a representative survey from May 2026. The survey focused on 13 expectations that packaging is expected to meet in everyday life. The findings show that a majority of respondents rated packaging as good or very good in nine of these areas. None of the expectations received a poor or very poor rating from a majority of respondents. At a press conference, the associations also highlighted areas where packaging still falls short, the emerging gap between public perceptions and the requirements of the circular economy and environmental protection, and the factors motivating young people to pursue careers in the packaging industry.
Since 2015, the German Packaging Institute e. V. (dvi) has organised Packaging Day each year in mid-June to raise public awareness of packaging and highlight the people behind it. To mark the 11th Packaging Day, the dvi, together with eleven industry associations, commissioned a representative survey exploring public attitudes towards packaging through five key questions. The participating associations were Aluminium Deutschland e. V., AVU Allianz Verpackung und Umwelt, Bundesverband Glasindustrie e. V., DIE PAPIERINDUSTRIE e. V., DFTA Flexodruck Fachverband e. V., Fachverband Faltschachtel-Industrie e. V. (FFI), Flexible Packaging Europe, IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e. V., IPV Industrieverband Papier- und Folienverpackungen e. V., VDW Die Wellpappenindustrie and Verband Metallverpackungen e. V. (VMV).
In addition, a video campaign was launched in cooperation with eleven universities. In the campaign, students, apprentices and alumni from packaging-related degree programmes and vocational training courses explain what inspired them to pursue careers in the packaging industry.
What do Germans expect from their packaging?
Packaging serves many purposes and has to meet a wide range of different requirements. When asked to identify their personal top five priorities, respondents most frequently cited ensuring hygiene (37.6 percent), ease of opening, use and resealing (33.1 percent), protecting the product from damage (32.6 percent) and extending shelf life (32.1 percent).
Looking at public expectations of packaging more broadly, recyclability ranks first among all 13 functions and attributes included in the survey. Almost half of respondents (48.0%) consider it one of the five most important expectations of packaging. The efficient use of packaging materials ranks second (40.3%). Other sustainability-related priorities also feature in the overall top five, including minimising environmental impact (36.1%) and, where environmentally and practically appropriate, reusability (33.3%).
Commenting on the findings on behalf of the participating associations, Dr Natalie Brandenburg, Managing Director of the German Packaging Institute (dvi), highlights two aspects: “The results clearly show that sustainability and the circular economy remain highly important to people in Germany. Packaging has traditionally played a prominent role in this context because it is something we use and interact with every day. The fact that four of the five most important expectations relate to sustainability and the circular economy sends a strong message. At the same time, consumers recognise the essential role packaging plays in protecting products and ensuring hygiene and safety. These findings confirm that packaging continues to have a clear mandate in fulfilling these core functions.”
How good is the report card?
When asked how well packaging fulfils its various functions and meets expectations in everyday life, Germans generally give it positive ratings. Among the 13 aspects surveyed, the highest satisfaction scores were awarded to ensuring hygiene (81.7% rating performance as good or very good), protecting products from damage (78.1%), and extending shelf life (70.3%). Almost seven in ten respondents also feel that packaging provides them with good or very good information (69.6%) and helps them identify products on the shelf when shopping (68.3%).
The lower ratings are equally noteworthy, however, as they point to areas where further improvements are needed. “Only a slim majority of respondents (52.5%) rate the ease of opening, use and resealing as good or very good. While just 12.9% consider packaging to perform poorly or very poorly in this regard, that still falls short of our industry’s ambitions. Effective solutions already exist, but they may need to be adopted more consistently,” says Brandenburg.
The Managing Director identifies a second priority area for the industry in communication: “Only 35.6% of respondents rate the efficient use of packaging materials as good or very good. This is the lowest score among all 13 aspects and is genuinely concerning, because the reality is quite different. Today, significantly less material and fewer resources are required to package products than in the past. As an industry, we need to communicate this progress much more clearly.”
The recycling myth
From paper and board to metal, glass, plastics and composite materials, packaging in Germany is collected after use and recycled wherever possible. The aim of the circular economy is to keep valuable raw materials in circulation and prevent them from becoming waste. When asked what proportion of collected packaging is recycled and made available for new packaging or other products, more than two thirds of Germans underestimate the actual recycling rates across all material categories. Only 31.2 % correctly estimate that glass packaging is recycled at a rate of more than 80% (2024: 82.9 percent). The same applies to paper, paperboard and board, where just 31.2% of respondents correctly identify a recycling rate above 80% (2024: 91.8%). Regarding metal, 83.4 percent believe the recycling rate is below 80%, even though in reality metal has the highest recycling rate overall. For plastic packaging, 67.5% of respondents assume a recycling rate below 60 percent although the actual rate reached 70.8% in 2024). Similarly, 70.7% believe that composite packaging is recycled at a rate below 60%, compared with an actual recycling rate of 69.5%.
Commenting on the findings, the participating associations emphasise the important contribution made by citizens to the circular economy. “People in Germany can be proud of what they achieve through the responsible disposal of packaging. The high recycling rates we attain are only possible because consumers separate and dispose of their packaging correctly after use. The circular economy is a team effort. The notion that separately collected packaging is ultimately mixed together again and incinerated is simply a myth,” says Brandenburg.
More products, less packaging
When asked whether more or less packaging material is required today to package a product compared to 10, 20 or 30 years ago, only 18.2% of respondents answered correctly According to a 2022 study by the GVM Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung, packaging manufacturers achieved substantial material savings between 1991 and 2020. On average, material use per packaged product fell by 17.0% for paper, paperboard and board packaging, 38.5% for aluminium packaging, 6.9% for glass packaging and as much as 76.9% for plastic packaging.
Natalie Brandenburg explains: “For Packaging Day 2022, we not only compared the total volume of packaging materials used and packaged products, but also examined specific examples. An aluminium tray for 100 grams of cat food, for example, required 29% less material in 2020 than in 1991. A wine bottle was produced using 23.5% less glass, while a plastic toothpaste tube required 18.9% less material. And the innovations continue. Companies are also becoming increasingly efficient in their use of energy and water. As consumers, we often remember the occasional negative example or the small item delivered in an oversized shipping box. The overall picture, however, is different: while the number of products continues to grow, the amount of packaging required per product continues to decline.”
Small effort – big impact
One of the most important tasks of packaging is to protect the product it contains. Providing this protection requires materials, energy and other resources. The key question, however, is whether the environmental investment is justified. What happens if packaging is reduced or removed and the product is damaged or spoiled as a result? Which has the larger environmental footprint: the packaging or the product itself? The survey shows a significant gap in public awareness. Only 19.5% of respondents correctly recognise that, on average, packaging has a substantially smaller environmental footprint than the product it protects. More than two thirds underestimate this difference. While 41.3% believe that packaging has the larger footprint, 31.2% assume that the environmental impact of packaging and product is roughly the same.
Commenting on the findings, Brandenburg says: “On average, only 3.0 to 3.5 per cent of the environmental impact of packaged food is attributable to the packaging. Our products contain many valuable raw materials, energy, water and other resources. These are ecological and economic assets that must be safeguarded. Packaging performs this task with comparatively little resource input. Many people are unaware of this relationship. Yet the greatest environmental and economic losses occur when products are damaged or spoil before they can be used. Packaging helps prevent exactly that.”
Unboxing the future
“Don’t just talk about change. Be part of it. Research it. Drive it forward!” That is how one packaging machinery engineering student puts it. In the run-up to Packaging Day, the dvi launched a countdown video campaign in cooperation with eleven universities from Germany and Austria. Through a series of 25 Instagram reels, students, apprentices and alumni from packaging-related degree programmes and vocational training courses explain why they chose a career in packaging. Their shared message is clear: packaging is indispensable. Rather than criticising it from the sidelines, they want to help shape its future and make it even more efficient, sustainable and innovative. For Natalie Brandenburg, the conclusion is obvious: “We often only notice packaging once it has already fulfilled its purpose. Yet without packaging there would be no transport, no storage and no reliable supply chains. The safe delivery of food, medicines, industrial goods and raw materials, as well as the sustainable use of resources, all depend on effective packaging. That is why, as an association community, we are committed to promoting the value and importance of the packaging industry across all materials. Packaging is part of the future. And the future needs people who are willing to shape it.”