Less than one in three young people in the UK recycles plastics, survey finds

A survey of consumers in the UK, Germany and Poland has found a lack of awareness amongst young people in the 18-24 age group.

The survey, commissioned by PlasticsEurope and RECOUP, asked over 4,100 participants from the UK, Germany and Poland about their recycling habits and perceptions.

It found that less than one in three young people in the UK recycle plastics (29 percent in the UK, 24 percent in Germany and 18 percent in Poland).

When it comes to the average population, less than 50 percent of consumers recycle all plastics after using them in the UK (45 percent in the UK, 51 percent in Germany, 35 percent in Poland).

The main reason consumers cited as to why they do not recycle is that they are "confused and ill-informed" about what types of plastics are accepted for recycling. In Poland, respondents cited other barriers, such as less willingness (17 percent) or inconvenience to recycle (17 percent).

Consumers prefer recycling

To the question of what plastic waste management system consumers are more likely to accept, i.e. recycling, energy recovery, landfilling; 93 percent of UK consumers prefer recycling over landfilling and energy recovery. This result was echoed in both Germany (95 percent) and Poland (94 percent).

The study also shows that there is resistance among consumers to send plastic waste to landfills (Germany 70 percent, Poland 74 percent and the UK 82 percent). Views seem to be divided about waste-to-energy solutions. Consumers in Germany (63 percent) and the UK (70 percent) are generally positive about energy recovery, while the Polish population is evenly split: 46 percent pro and 45 percent against.

The Public wants to know more

The survey concludes that over half of consumers in each country are eager to know more about what happens to plastics once they are collected (64 percent in the UK, 74 percent in Germany and 54 percent in Poland).

However, consumers are also less willing to pay more for the production of resource efficient products (43 percent in the UK, 28 percent in Germany and 30 percent in Poland).

When questioned about their awareness and understanding of environmental terms, there was a clear divide between the three countries. In the UK, there was a high level of awareness and understanding of sustainability (81 percent) and carbon footprint (88 percent). Only a small fraction of respondents had heard about resource efficiency (21 percent) and the circular economy (seven percent).

“Under no circumstances should plastics be landfilled”

Kim Christiansen, Director North Region at PlasticsEurope said: “This research recognises the need of increased engagement with consumers. Plastics waste is a valuable resource and should be considered as such, under no circumstances should plastics be landfilled.

“This is why PlasticsEurope will continue its engagement in the UK, notably by organising the IdentiPlast conference on waste management in London during the first quarter of 2019”.

Stuart Foster, RECOUP Chief Executive Officer added: “It is important to understand how consumers in different countries view the resource management options available for plastics packaging, and there are some really interesting comparisons and trends in this new study.

“The challenge is now to implement these learnings into future consumer engagement campaigns such as Pledge4Plastics, to ensure they continue to be effective.”

For the full report, please click here.