Liz Gyekye / PackagingNews

More than half of Brits bin recyclable waste: survey

More than two thirds of the population believe they recycle to the best of their ability the majority of the time but 55% admit to binning recyclable waste, according to new research.

The research, commissioned by Tetra Pak, reveals that although the vast majority of UK residents (95%) think recycling is important, 40% do not recycle every day, and the majority of householders admit to binning waste they know can be easily recycled.

According to the research, being in a rush or running late is the most common reason given for ditching “good  habits” (34%), closely followed by feeling lazy, with 32% owning up to the fact that “we sometimes can’t be bothered to recycle”.

Commenting on the findings, Aggie MacKenzie, of ‘How Clean Is Your House’, said: “As everyone knows I love a clean and tidy house, but it’s really important we don’t prioritise convenience over good recycling habits.  Most of us aren’t perfect and slip-up sometimes; the important thing is we are honest with ourselves about why this happens so we can find ways to improve.”

The research also found that a total of 91% of people recycle in the kitchen. However, a total of one in five are guilty of regularly binning waste in the bathroom.

Rupert Maitland-Titterton, Environment and Communications Director at Tetra Pak said: “It is really encouraging to see that so many people in the UK think recycling is so important; however it seems that good habits are getting abandoned too easily.

“At Tetra Pak, we believe strongly in protecting the environment and minimising our impact on it. By making small changes to our day-to-day recycling habits we can all help boost recycling levels in the UK and help to protect our environment, now and in the future.”

The latest figures from Tetra Pak and the Alliance for Beverage Cartons & the Environment (ACE UK) show that 88% of local authorities collect liquid food and drink cartons for recycling. In addition, 135 local authorities across the UK collect beverage cartons from your kerbside.