The puzzle of plastics – why do some people recycle but others don’t?
Researchers at Queen'south University Belfast have been interviewing people across the region to try to crack the puzzle of why some people recycle and others don't. The experts carried out 18 in-depth interviews with people living in Northern Republic of ireland during Autumn 2019.
The findings suggest that some of the reasons that people aren't recycling plastics are beingness then busy they don't get circular to recycling, they aren't clear on what tin be recycled, and they can't encounter the affect that their recycling could have on the environment.
The study was part of a larger interdisciplinary grant 'Advancing Creative Circular Economies for Plastics via Technological-Social Transitions (Have Transitions)' led past professor David Rooney from the School of Chemical science and Chemical Engineering at Queen's. The researchers are likewise involved in the 'Clear on Plastics' entrada, which is being run past the sustainability not-for-profit organisation WRAP.
Dr Emma Berry from the School of Psychology at Queen's co-led the projection aslope professor Martin Dempster and Dr Debbie Roy. She explains, "In Northern Ireland, people recycle twice as much as they did 15 years ago and 10% of this is plastic. "For many people, recycling has become part of their everyday routine – we take the bins and collection service, and then it's much easier to exercise at present. Most of us also know its 'good' for the surround, so we try to follow the guidelines on putting recyclable products in the right bins. However, while nearly people recycle, some households do not, then it's important to sympathise why this might be."
Following the enquiry, the experts say there are three common barriers to recycling in Northern Republic of ireland. Firstly, some people felt that with such decorated lifestyles, family life, and competing priorities, recycling was often just at the bottom of the daily agenda – information technology did not feature in their long listing of important day-to-mean solar day tasks.
Secondly, people felt that with the enormous range of products and materials available in shops, information technology tin besides exist tricky to know which products can exist recycled and in which bin. Likewise, it is non e'er clear how to recycle some products if they are made up of multiple materials, such every bit a cardboard sleeve on a plastic yogurt pot, which need to be separated.
The terminal common barrier reported was that individuals feel that information technology's often hard to see the impact that small actions such every bit recycling at home or while out and virtually, can accept on the environment, making small efforts feel pointless.
Dr Bronagh Millar from the Polymer Processing Centre at Queen'south was also involved in the projection. She says, "Based on our findings, information technology's understandable why many people detect recycling baffling. The good news is that recycling does not have to be difficult and time consuming and small-scale efforts do make a difference to our local environment and society.
"Taking minor actions similar recycling at home, non only helps reduce the amount of waste in local landfill and which gets washed up on beaches, only it is also helping our local economy considering recycling supports the generation of local industries and jobs. Onetime and used packaging isn't waste, information technology's material that tin be reformed and used to make more of the same packaging or something different."
An interesting case of this is Cherry Pipes – a company that manufactures the state drainage pipes that are constitute in new housing developments, route construction, sports stadia and across all made from 100% recycled plastic. Recycling at home supports this business and the jobs created at that place and information technology will besides continue to support economic growth as new businesses are formed and flourish in the sector.
Dr Millar adds, "Recycling at home is the best place to kickoff and information technology's where most waste comes from – in fact almost 90% of all waste matter collected in 2019/2020 came from households! "Information technology's easy to call up that as ane private or family, your recycling won't make a difference when you experience like loads of other people and companies are not recycling. But if every individual household just increased its recycling even a little bit, information technology would make a huge difference over time."
Expert tips to make recycling easier at home
Place a second bin or a 'bag for life' abreast your general waste matter bin (this non only makes recycling easier, but it helps remind you/others in your household to recycle).
Use visual and automated reminders to give you a nudge to recycle e.thou., daily/weekly phone reminders and post-its/signs on or around your indoor bins.
Likewise, create visual reminders of what goes where (visit world wide web.recyclenow.com/local-recycling to find out what you lot can recycle in your area, or check out your local say-so website.
When you aren't sure about whether certain packages can be recycled, look for the on-pack recycling label which is usually on the bottom or sides of packages and tells u.s.a. what plastics most local authorities have. Every bit a rule of thumb, tins/cans, cardboard, and virtually difficult plastics tin exist recycled.
Source: https://packagingsouthasia.com/type-of-packaging/flexible-packaging/the-puzzle-of-plastics-why-do-some-people-recycle-but-others-dont/
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