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Government, industry and consumers in the developed world have known about the environmental and financial benefits of recycling for well over a generation. Yet it’s not something everyone does – despite knowing they should.
In fact, while three-quarters of British and French consumers say they always recycle plastic bottles at home, recycling rates in these countries still fall short, with only around half of all plastic bottles being returned for recycling. So why is it seemingly so difficult to recycle?
A six-month study, Unpacking the Household (pdf), conducted by Coca-Cola Enterprises and the University of Exeter and released in March, sought to uncover the different barriers that exist for people recycling in the home.
Despite the circular economy becoming a key phrase in the sustainability lexicon, it hasn’t filtered down to households. A key finding was that some people misunderstand what happens to waste once it leaves the home, not realising that recycling is a circular – rather than linear – process. Meanwhile, people also perceive the recyclability of materials as a complex issue. And when in doubt, materials tend to be discarded rather than recycled.
The research suggests that recycling is often not a conscious decision but an instinctive routine built into our everyday lives – in other words, an unconscious habit. That isn’t the best recycling behaviour, and although it isn’t always easy to break bad habits, the research pinpoints that new ones can be created at certain times when householders are most open to change, such as when they are designing a new kitchen or moving house.
Behavioural barriers differ by age and between generations but not gender. For example, children can make important contributions to household recycling rates. In the study, youngsters frequently recalled recycling information they had learnt and practiced at school and relayed it to their parents – helping identify opportunities to break habits and motivate adults to change their own behaviour.
What can industry do?
There are a number of ways in which organisations can help to change behaviours, whether it is through new educational initiatives or competitions that seek new inventions. British supermarket, Sainsbury’s, teamed up with the Forestry Stewardship Council UK earlier this year to launch an Easter egg packaging recycling initiative, highlighting what materials could and couldn’t be recycled together.
At the other end of the spectrum is Pugedon’s recycling and vending machine in Istanbul, which releases food and water for the city’s stray dogs in exchange for plastic bottles for recycling. The idea here is that people will be encouraged to take their plastic for recycling if they can see an immediate outcome.
Local government can also play an important role in changing recycling behaviours. For instance, some councils in the Midlands incentivise households who recycle properly by marking bins with a green label to showcase their achievements to the community.
These initiatives alone won’t provide the answer to the recycling challenges of the future, but they could form part of the solution. Although studies and research can help identify consumers’ behaviours and barriers to recycling, it doesn’t guarantee the solutions they propose, will work. Learning from and involving householders is key.
By involving consumers in the creative process, businesses can ensure their needs are addressed. Organisations and inventors who understand this are using crowd sourcing and collaboration platforms such as Kickstarter and OpenIDEO to help decipher what products and solutions will be popular and useful for consumers.
OpenIDEO launched a recycling challenge with Coca Cola Enterprises this year to find solutions to improving household recycling rates. By the end of the 11-week process eight final ideas were selected by an expert panel to be recommended for piloting.
Waste Free Wednesday was one; its aim is to encourage everyone to eliminate waste once a week. Although this requires active participation it is a simple idea encouraging people to break and form new habits one small step at a time.
Meanwhile, the recycling solution of the future could be as simple as a mobile app, especially as they prove so popular for solving numerous modern-day problems, such as flagging down a taxi. R-Blocks, a customisable recycling bin concept for the home, was selected as a finalist because people are more likely to recycle if their bins suit their lifestyle.
It’s clear from the variety of initiatives, products and aids that are being piloted and invented that there won’t be a single answer to helping improve recycling rates in our households. But it’s also clear that the best ideas that work for everyone will be contributed to collaboratively.
Joe Franses is the corporate responsibility and sustainability director at Coca-Cola Enterprises.
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