Kerbside

UK survey finds most of its citizens recycle

While 95% of British survey respondents recycle, some remain confused about what to put in the bin.

A survey conducted by United Kingdom-based Mintel has found that 95% of survey respondents in the U.K. sometimes recycle, though what happens to those materials next may not always be understood.

Mintel says its survey has found that “the majority of Brits are recyclers (95%), [but] some 3 in 10 (31%) admit they do not recycle as much as they should, a sentiment which is particularly strong among 16-to-24-year-olds (46%).”

In terms of satisfaction toward the kerbside recycling process, just one-quarter (25%) of Britain’s recyclers say they are satisfied with the feedback they receive as to what happens to the materials once they have been recycled. “Cynicism is high,” says Mintel. “In fact, as many as 3 in 10 (29%) Brits think recycling material ends up in landfills.”

Confusion also was cited as an issue by some respondents, Mintel says. “One-quarter (24%) of Brits put rubbish in the recycling bin even if they are not sure that it can be recycled,” says the firm, “and two-thirds (64%) of Brits mainly put rubbish in the waste when they are unsure if rubbish can be recycled.