WRAP identifies barriers to recycling
August 18, 2008
Research undertaken by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has identified four main barriers which tend to prevent people from recycling.
- Physical — unsuitable containers for collecting recyclable materials, lack of storage space, unreliable collections and a lack of access to recycling sites.
- Behavioural — being too busy to establish a routine for sorting out items for recycling, and forgetting to put recyclable material out for collection.
- Ignorance — a lack of knowledge regarding what materials can be collect and a lack of awareness as to how local collection schemes work.
- Perceptual — not believing that recycling benefits the environment, not believing that it is worth sorting waste and a lack of engagement with the recycling process.
WRAP’s study also sets out a number of simple steps for local authorities to help address these difficulties. The following study findings highlight how this can be done.
- Physical — 52% of people who already recycle said they would recycle more if there were collections for a wider range of materials.
- Behavioural — 48% of people already recycling claimed that they still binned items because they ware unsure as to whether they could be recycled or not.
- Awareness — less than half the people surveyed had a good understanding of what their recycling containers were for.
- Attitudes — 86% of recyclers said they’d be encouraged to recycle more if they could witness the practical benefits of recycling in their local area.
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