Green Cosmetics—The Effects of Package Design on Consumers’ Willingness-to-Pay and Sustainability Perceptions

The cosmetics industry requires a long-term, sustainable vision to reduce its impact on the environment. Within this process, packaging is of critical relevance, as it impacts the ecological footprint of products and determines consumers’ perception of the product as sustainable and green while shaping their willingness to purchase the product. This article implements a mixed-methods design to combine theoretical insights with the opinions of experts and the perceptions of consumers. It elicits which packaging elements are the most important in determining consumers’ willingness to pay for green cosmetics and which are the most important regarding their perception of the product being sustainable and green. The results of the conjoint analysis-based study conducted in Germany indicate the predominance of the used materials for packaging over other characteristics (glass +EUR 1, bio-based materials +EUR 0.92, recycled plastic +EUR 0.75 vs. wood as base category). Labels (Veganblume +EUR 0.68, Cruelty-Free +EUR 0.11) and the availability of refill options (+EUR 0.61) score in second place, while coloring (black −EUR 0.2, green −EUR 0.11, brown −EUR 0.13 vs. white as the base category) and QR codes (+EUR 0.13) score last regarding participants’ willingness to purchase the product. The results also reveal a distinct difference between the order of attributes driving the willingness to pay and those driving the perception of the sustainability of a product. Regarding sustainability perception, the relevance of labels and color increases distinctly, while package material remains the dominant attribute.