At the start of 2024, plastic pollution prevention startup CleanHub surveyed 965 people across the US to learn more about how their recycling behaviours, their limitations, and what they feel needs to be done by governments and businesses to improve recycling practices.
Editor Rebekah Jordan picked out the key takeaways and underscored the need for government and business reforms to reshape current recycling practices and promote sustainability.
1. 87% recycle at home
Positively, this suggests that a large portion of people are aware of the advantages of recycling and do so when possible, following advised domestic recycling initiatives.
However, only half of US citizens have access to automatic curbside recycling, reflecting the urgent need for improvement and development from a regional perspective. To depict this on a larger scale, only 5% of US plastic nationwide is currently recycled, and a 32% overall recycling rate marks the world superpower amongst the lowest in developed nations in regards to recycling.
Furthermore, these optimistic recycling rates seem to fall in the workplace.
Only 44% said that their workplaces had recycling facilities, and a sobering 20% reported none at all.
When asked about other barriers to recycling outside of access, Motivation came out strongly (27%), followed by Cost (18%), Awareness (18%), and Other (6%) making up the rest.
2. 84% of respondents said they were concerned about microplastics and the impact they have on health
Microplastics are a health problem as well as an environmentally toxic substance - and the US public is not ignorant of this.
84% of respondents said they were ‘somewhat concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ about the impact of microplastics on the environment. Although, despite this figure, there doesn't seem to be a current national drive to combat the issue or spread awareness at the very least.
3. Less than a fifth (19%) were confident their plastic waste gets recycled
This is compared to 35% of people across all age groups who admitted to being 'not confident' that their waste is recycled, highlighting a significant gap in recycling confidence.
4. Three-quarters of people (77%) want the US government to make recycling more accessible
Most recycling efforts are state-led meaning each region has its own set of recycling rules.
However, the US public wants more to be done via federal action through infrastructure investments, public education, and encouragement of circularity policies.
CleanHub’s VP of Marketing, Nikki Stones, stated: "The government - at a federal and state level - has to do more. They must provide convenient access to recycling facilities and education, as well as create policies to drive more sustainable business practices."
5. 79% of respondents think brands should be doing more to tackle plastic pollution
This majority shows that consumers want brands to support them in making decisions that support the environment.
Brands can grow customer loyalty by switching to sustainable packaging, supporting environmental initiatives, and adopting a proactive approach to the planet.
Food and beverage industries were identified as the biggest source of plastic waste by 75% of those surveyed. This was shortly followed by beauty and cosmetics (32%), laundry and homecare (23%), apparel (19%), pet food and accessories (7%), and other sectors (3%).
"The emphasis on the cost of sustainable products is a familiar one, especially during a cost of living crisis. This is why brands also have a vital role to play by tackling plastic pollution in a way that doesn’t carry the financial impact onto consumers,” added Stones.
On the UK side of things, check out the conflicting perspectives between the UK government and the public in this insights piece.
6. One-third find it 'impossible' to avoid single-use plastics
Despite awareness about the negative impacts of single-use plastics, US companies are struggling to offer alternatives to their consumers.
To put this into context, plastic waste recycling rates have actually dropped in recent years, from 9% in 2018 to a mere 5% today, highlighting the scale of the plastic pollution crisis we’re facing and the urgent need for more sustainable shopping practices.
Shockingly, Reuters warned that if we continue on our current path, we may see plastic output double by 2050 which paints a bleak picture for the near future if action isn't taken.
7. Nearly half (49%) would pay more for more sustainably packaged products
However, around 39% wish they could do more but are deterred by the added cost, suggesting that the price difference is putting people off. This is compounded by the fact that just one-fifth of respondents believe brands are adequately addressing plastic pollution.
Specifically, those who earned more than $150,000 a year were 53% more likely to pay for sustainable products compared to those earning less than $24,999.
So, whilst the implementation of national and international initiatives sounds good in theory, it's proving difficult to adopt if the options are not economically viable for the public.
8. 71% of people between 18 and 29 said they struggle to shop sustainably because of the cost of living crisis
Younger people finding it harder to shop green due to the state of today's economy. Similarly, 59% of people aged over 45 are struggling to live green due to the rising costs.
What's more interesting is that the younger generation is actually more 'sustainably aware' than their older counterparts however, suffer more on the implementation side of things.
Offering economically feasible packaging options from brands could alleviate the financial burden on the public associated with environmentally friendly choices - an option that only seems possible if the government supports its businesses.
What are the most common plastic recycling myths? See them debunked here.
Final thoughts
Collaboration from all stakeholders including governments, businesses, manufacturers and consumers is key to drive radical change in current recycling practices.
While education plays a crucial role in facilitating greener habits, affordability remains a significant barrier. As much as people want to commit to greener shopping habits i.e. through sustainable packing, the public shouldn't have to suffer the burden of higher fees to do so.
On a more positive note, governments worldwide have started implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies and anti-greenwashing laws to hold businesses accountable for their sustainability goals.
Ultimately, only through joint efforts between governments, companies and the public will sustainable packaging (hopefully) become the affordable standard rather than an expensive alternative.
Let the voices of the survey respondents speak for themselves:
"Every household or workplace should have recycling."
"Make it affordable and easier to recycle what you have."
"The government should take a more active stance."
"Educate the public on the importance of recycling."