New research commissioned by Planet Ark has found that while the majority of Australians trust their kerbside recycling does actually get recycled, almost half of us aren’t sure of what happens to it and a significant proportion believe it goes mostly to landfill.
A council survey conducted by Planet Ark found that the most common recycling mistake made by residents was soft plastics (like bread bags), bagged recyclables and food scraps or organics being placed in the recycling bin, causing problems at sorting facilities and leading to more of Australia’s recyclables going to landfill.
During National Recycling Week this week (12 – 18 November), Planet Ark has been encouraging Australians to reboot their perspective on recycling.
“National Recycling Week is the perfect time to reboot your own recycling habits,” Ryan Collins, Planet Ark’s Recycling Programs Manager, said.
“Planet Ark’s research has revealed that despite 71% of people being confident in knowing what can and can’t be recycled, 61% would still like to see more information on these topics.”
Households are also being given a helping hand to recycle right with the launch of the Australasian Recycling Label. It aims to help consumers understand which bin a piece of packaging should be placed in. Planet Ark has also released the 6 Golden Rule of Kerbside Recycling that tackle the most common recycling conventions to help clear up confusion. In addition, the new recyclingnearyou.com.au website has been redesigned to make it even easier for residents to find out what can be recycled in their area.
The National Recycling Week research report From Waste War to Recycling Reboot is available at this link: https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/nationalrecyclingweek/research/