DENTON, Texas – According to a survey by the Carton Council of North America, 61% of consumers say they always recycle their food and beverage cartons—up 11% from 2016. The national study shows that consumers are well-educated on their recycling options and that they expect the brands they purchase from to be environmentally engaged as well.

“The survey findings highlight that as more Americans have gained access to food and beverage carton recycling, awareness that cartons are recyclable has also increased,’’ said Jason Pelz, vice president of recycling projects for the Carton Council of North America in a press release. “This validates that the widespread consumer education conducted by companies and brands, local communities, as well as our own campaigns, is working and gives us great motivation to continue driving our efforts.”

Nearly 56% of consumers said their loyalty to a food or beverage brand is impacted by the brand’s engagement with environmental causes. It could be a shift many retailers want to make: Companies who pay attention to packaging could also improve efficiencies and save money.

It’s a move within a bigger environmental shift as cities are banning plastic bags and companies are ditching single-use plastics. Consequently, many retailers are already prioritizing “green” packaging practices and thinking about packaging as a bigger part of the supply chain process.

For example, Walmart released a Sustainable Packaging Playbook for its suppliers and vendors on how to reduce the cost of goods and improve sustainability scores. They also plan to have 100% recyclable packing for all of its private-brand products by 2025.