UK survey finds most of its citizens recycle

A survey conducted by United Kingdom-based Mintel has found that 95% of survey respondents in the U.K. sometimes recycle, although 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 three 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 three in 10 (29%) Brits think recycling material ends up in landfills.”

Confusion was also cited as an issue by some respondents, says Mintel. “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. Meanwhile, one in five (18%) Brits is unsure of the kerbside collection days for their recycling.

“It is clear that many Brits find the recycling process confusing,” says Ambreen Ahmad, a research analyst at Mintel. “More education is needed in terms of what can and cannot be recycled. Confusion could well be leading to contaminated recycling together with wasted recycling opportunities.”

Continues Ahmad, “The U.K. is increasingly moving away from a throwaway society to a ‘circular economy’ that recognises the importance of preventing, reusing and recycling waste. Varying household recycling rates mean that local authorities will need to find innovative ways to encourage recycling. We are experiencing a slowdown in the growth of the recycling market as a result of the fact that while Brits are keen recyclers, they still need to recycle more of their rubbish.”