News
Recycle Now reveals household recycling hotspots
This feature was added on 4th June 2008
WasteAware and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) have highlighted a series of 'hotspots' in the home of 'forgotten' items of recyclable household waste to mark the start of Recycle Week (2nd-6th June 2008).
From the Recycle Week survey the top five items which people say they don't recycle are:
- aerosol containers for deodorant, air freshener or polish, etc (62%)
- biscuit and sweet tins (53%)
- plastic shampoo and toiletry bottles (32%)
- plastic cleaning product bottles, such as bleach or disinfectants (31%)
- glass jars, such as those for cooking sauces (20%)
Whilst nearly two thirds (62%) of consumers said that they always remembered to recycle items from their kitchen, this falls dramatically to around a third for waste found in other areas of the home, such as the bathroom (36%) and bedroom (34%).
The research also showed that 59% of people focused on recycling cans, plastic drinks bottles, glass bottles, paper and card. Over a quarter (26%) were unaware that items such as aerosols, plastic detergent bottles, magazines and biscuit and sweet tins could often be recycled.
This year Recycle Week is about highlighting the extra things we can easily do to recycle more and increase the impact of our recycling efforts.
If every household in England recycled 'one more thing', the total amount collected for recycling could increase by more than three quarters of a million tonnes and could potentially raise the national recycling rate by up to 3%.
Potential to do more
Industry figures reveal that there is real potential to recycle more. For example, UK households use an average of 331 glass bottles and jars each year, yet nearly half (49% or 162 bottles/jars) are not recycled – the equivalent of three a week. Similarly, UK households use an average of 500 plastic bottles each year, yet nearly three quarters (74% or 370 bottles) are not being recycled – the equivalent of seven bottles each week.
For more information on how to help tackle climate change, visit www.direct.gov.uk/ActOnCO2.