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89%* of people call for more sustainable packaging

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The public want packaging to include recycled material, be more easily recyclable or be removed altogether

This Recycling Week,  Veolia, the UK’s leading resource management company reveals new research that says 89%* of people believe packaging should change. The data shows the public want packaging to include recycled material, be more easily recyclable or be removed altogether.

Following the broadcast of Blue Planet II, 35% of Brits say they have a better understanding of packaging recyclability, although the research also reveals that there is still some confusion. Many consumers for example, still believe that hard to recycle or non recyclable items such as coffee cups (27%), black plastic containers (26%), toothpaste tubes (20%) and crisp and sweets wrappers (11%) are commonly recyclable.

Veolia has released a recycling ‘mythbuster’ to help reduce misinformation, offering advice on what actually can and cannot be recycled. This follows Veolia’s recently published Plan for Plastics which demonstrates that consumers expect over 50% of a plastic bottle to be made from recycled content.

recycling logo made of plastic bottles
Research
Plan for plastics
Plastic was introduced as a material marvel, unfortunately, pathways have opened up resulting in plastic waste ending up in the natural world. Find out more about our three-step approach to boosting plastic recycling.
Find out more
It’s encouraging that public knowledge on recycling is improving overall, but there is still some way to go. When we start simplifying packaging and provide clearer labeling, this will enable more sustainable choices at the supermarket and ensure more materials will be collected and accepted at recycling centres. This is the essence of a circular economy and something we should all be striving towards.
Richard Kirkman
Chief Technology and Innovation Officer

Veolia is a founding member of the UK Plastics Pact and has long invested in sustainable solutions to packaging with ambitious targets to reduce plastic packaging waste*. Together with other major industry players, Veolia is working with manufacturers to rethink and redesign the packaging that’s placed on the market, so the UK can move towards a system which keeps the majority of plastic packaging in the circular economy.

*89% of people believe packaging should change includes:

35% of people believe packaging should be made from recycled materials
30% of people thinkpackaging should be more easily recyclable
24% of people thinkpackaging should be removed altogether

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2041 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 9th - 10th August 2018.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).