Brits admit to sub-standard recycling habits
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - 12:11:48
A new study carried out ahead of National Recycle Week has revealed the reasons that people avoid the sustainable, eco-friendly approach to disposing of waste.
When asked what obstacles were getting in the way of households increasing the amount they recycle, 71 per cent said that they were already doing as much as possible to avoid sending recyclable items to landfill.
Eight per cent argued that the frequency of council-run recycling collections should be increased, while 12 per cent said that they were either confused by the recycling info presented to them on product packaging or unclear on what services were available to them locally.
The smallest slice, just three per cent, said that they avoided recycling out of laziness, while other factors cited included a lack of conviction that waste sent to be recycled is actually handled as advertised.
Twelve thousand people were questioned as part of the national study conducted by Future Thinking, with the results revealing that as Brits get older they are more likely to commit to recycling.
The over 75 age group was the most willing to do everything possible to recycle waste rather than putting it in the bin, with 88 per cent of people in this category showing their sustainable side. By comparison this was true of just 57 per cent of under 35s, implying that millennials need to do more to keep up with their elders.
Analysts argue that this survey proves there is a need to readdress the approach that is taken to recycling in the UK, with steps such as standardising and simplifying product packaging information, to ensure that consumers are clear on what they can and cannot recycle.
Recycling may have become far more common in the 13 years since National Recycle Week was established, but report spokesperson, Robin Davies, argues that there is a need to alter the way that the message behind the event is communicated to younger people.
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