Do efforts to reduce packaging waste impact preferences for meal kits?

Abstract

The food industry has been innovative in developing new products and services in response to the increasing demand for healthy and convenient food. Meal kits, a growing segment in the market, provide pre-measured bundles of raw ingredients with recipe cards for a complete home-cooked meal. However, to ensure food safety and quality, meal kits sold online come with a lot of packaging, creating waste. This study examines the market for meal kits as an example of healthy and convenient food, paying particular attention to the impact of packaging waste on consumer behavior. First, the willingness to pay for key attributes of meal kits is estimated, including whether the meal kit is ordered on meal kit websites or purchased at grocery stores. Second, the impact of providing eco-friendly packaging on the choice of purchasing platforms (online vs. offline) is investigated. Based on 1,217 primary grocery shoppers in the US, results reveal that consumers have a higher willingness to pay for meal kits sold at grocery stores, with organic, local, and pre-cut ingredients. The provision of fully recyclable insulation packaging helps consumers feel more positive regarding online meal kit packaging. However, it does not lead to any changes in the preference of purchasing platforms, showing a robust preference for buying meal kits at grocery stores.