EN
The main aim of the paper is to present the actual and potential socio-economic needs of the world’s consumers and the possibility of meeting them through the packaging of products. The empirical study presented examines the range of expectations among young, polish consumers regarding the fulfillment of their needs by packaging made from a range of materials. This allowed us to rank the packaging properties of these materials according to young consumer expectations and socio-economic need. The research recognises the expectations of different consumer categories and analyses awareness about the health safety, environmental and economical aspects of packaging.