New research reveals thousands of Scots recycling less than they did five years ago

Over 6% of Scots are recycling less than they did five years ago, according to a new survey.

The research from Ideal Home Show also revealed that over a fifth (22.7%) of Scots don’t find it easy to understand what they can and cannot recycle in their local area.

However, 72% think that the nation should be doing more to improve recycling, with the most important sustainability factors being reducing overall waste (39%) and improving recycling policies (30%), whereas growing your own food and reducing your meat consumption is not considered as important (both 7%).

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And when Scots are decorating their home, almost a third think that using sustainable materials is important.

According to the research, in the UK as a whole, a staggering 3.66 million Brits are recycling less than they did five years ago, with 14% admitting they’re unsure on what can and cannot recycle in their local area.

Of those that are recycling less, almost a fifth (19%) avoid recycling as it feels ‘too complicated’, others admit they don’t care about what happens to the planet (18%) and feeling like they can’t be bothered to make the effort (14%).

Despite this overall decrease in positive recycling habits, when it comes to decorating their homes Brits are favouring sustainable features (20%) over fashionable décor (18%) and top of the range equipment (6%).

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In fact, Gen Z (18-22-year olds) were the most likely to be consciously sustainable at home, with more than a third (34%) saying it was extremely important to ensure they used sustainable materials when decorating their home. In comparison, only 10% of baby boomers (55-64-year olds) felt the same.

Almost two thirds (60%) of Brits also feel that upcycling their existing furniture helps them be more sustainable, and almost three quarters (72%) donate old furniture to charity in a bid to be more sustainable at home.

Giles Perry, event director at Media10, organisers of the Ideal Home Show said: “We’re sad to see that Brits have become disillusioned with recycling in recent years, but we’re pleased to see that this isn’t being reflected in the home when it comes to the topic of sustainability more broadly.

“We’re thrilled that our survey has found Brits are consciously looking for ways to add sustainable features to their homes, particularly as our focus for this year’s show is on sustainability and making the world a better place. We want to help our visitors be more eco-friendly than ever before, and we’ve got a great line-up of sustainability talks, upcycling demos and more to help get them on the right track.”

The Ideal Home Show, sponsored by NatWest, returns to Olympia London from Friday, March 27 to Monday, April 13 2020.

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