The survey, which polled nearly 27,000 people around the world, found that 64% of UK consumers would give up packaging provided for convenience purposes, if it would benefit the environment.

Some 43% of UK consumers would even give up packaging designed to preserve food and keep it fresher longer.

Globally, a third of consumers would give up packaging that provided information in the form of labelling and cooking instructions, according to the online survey.

Consumers were most unwilling to give up packaging designed to keep food clean and untouched by others, the survey found.

"We are starting to see some backlash against plastics that are not recyclable, or whose chemical composition may lead to tainting or degradation of product quality," said Nielsen customised research director Wendy Stockwell.

She predicted that manufacturers would seek to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging needs by increasing their use of sustainably sourced packaging products, producing products in a form that made them easier to transport.

This would include concentrated formulas and a greater use of intelligent systems for tracking and indicating the state of products.