A study commissioned by EMR Metal Recycling said that a quarter of adults in Britain would recycle more at home if clear instructions were provided on the packaging
Image: Clear instructions on packaging can improve recycling rates, says study. Photo: Courtesy of European Metal Recycling.
The UK government is taking a step in the right direction to improve recycling rates, and clear instructions should be provided on the packaging about whether the product can be recycled, a recent study commissioned by EMR Metal Recycling, a metal and plastic recycling firm, has found.
The survey said that a quarter of adults in Britain would take up recycling more at home if such instructions were provided.
Mandatory labelling and better communications on products will be introduced under the government’s Resource and Waste Strategy so that consumers can know which packaging can be recycled.
The survey found that 23% of adults in the UK were willing to recycle more at home if clear instructions on product packaging were provided. Around 20% said that products should have more environmentally-friendly packaging.
The EU has set a target of recycling 50% of all household waste by 2020, but it is said that the UK is unlikely to meet the target.
The EMR survey found that the public was in favour of improved packaging
The study, conducted by YouGov, indicates that the public was in favour of improved packaging and on gaining more knowledge of how products are recycled instead of options such as being rewarded for recycling, use of more bins and more frequent household recycling collection days.
EMR is keen on playing an important role in the need for improved awareness. Recently, the company become the metals champion for the ‘Waste to Wealth’ initiative planned by Business In The Community – The Prince’s Responsible Business Network.
The company’s role as a champion includes a reduction in waste, and it plans to achieve this by increasing awareness of the need to recycle as a critical factor in protecting the environment.
A free ‘Mindful About Metals’ programme offered for primary schools by EMR is targeted at school years four and five. The programme is intended to inspire young people to make a positive environmental change by teaching them about recycling, its necessity and how it benefits the planet.
EMR UK Chief Executive Officer Andrew Brady said: “It is important to consider the impact of waste for future generations. With our free schools programme, we want to influence the generations that can make a real difference to recycling rates.
“As one of the world’s leading metal recyclers, we know how significant recycling is for the environment. The metal and plastic we receive saves over 10 million tonnes of CO2 compared to using virgin materials.”