Giant Eagle, an American grocery chain based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, surveys its customers every year to analyze their preferences and determine spending trends.

In the latest survey, more than 50 percent of respondents expressed a willingness to pay for quality sustainable seafood, while finding that sales of products considered sustainable are growing twice as fast as other products.

Eco-labels and effective information on recyclable packaging are the main drivers of U.S. seafood retailing, said Cara Mercil, an executive at Giant Eagle, on the sidelines of a Chilean Marine Cooperation project organized by the Chilean Trade Council (ProChile).

"Sustainability of packaging is becoming more and more important to consumers' purchasing decisions," Cara Mercil said. "In the United States, we don't have the capacity for recycling infrastructure, so if packaging gets people's attention and at the same time it's recyclable or reusable, it's a much better option."

Currently, most suppliers use No. 4 plastic or low-density polyethylene in their packaging, which is difficult to recycle.

Cara Mercil asked Chilean seafood companies to switch to single-material plastic packaging, pointing to the US NGO How2Recycle, which provides guidance to companies on how to assess the recyclability of each package.

The "How2Recycle" logo was originally created in 2012 by the Sustainable Packaging Alliance (SPC) as a project of the Sustainable Packaging Alliance to evaluate the recyclability of packaging materials, and the "How2Recycle" logo has been adopted by over 65 brands and retailers.

U.S. consumers are very concerned about sustainability issues, but their priorities are different from seafood companies, Cara Mercil said. While it's important for seafood producers to focus on their carbon footprint, reduce waste and reduce the ratio of fish in and fish out, U.S. consumers are more concerned about companies making sure the seafood they sell is safe, healthy and edible.

She encourages the use of QR codes to allow American consumers to trace the origin of products they see in supermarkets through the supply chain. Dee Amarillo, sales manager for Giant Eagle's seafood division, says there needs to be a closer relationship between packaging and sustainability.