Consumer Brands survey shows “tremendous will” to reduce US plastic waste amid “clear recycling confusion”
10 Aug 2021 --- US consumers are hungry for better recycling information, according to a Consumer Brands Association and Ipsos survey, with an increasing appetite to take matters into their own hands to make conscientious choices.
“Until we have a functioning recycling system, there will be this unbridgeable divide between concern and action,” Katie Denis, vice president of research and industry narrative at the Consumer Brands Association, tells PackagingInsights.
Out of 1,530 US adults surveyed, 80 percent report being concerned about the environment, though specific concern over plastic and packaging waste is even higher at 84 percent. Simultaneously, more than half (53%) consider themselves environmentalists.
“The more that we can show that there is tremendous will with the US American people to be more active in recycling in reducing plastic and packaging waste, the more likely federal and state governments are to engage [on] standards, rules and uniformity.”
Out of 1,530 US adults surveyed, 84% reported specific concern over plastic and packaging waste.Close generational gaps
In the Consumer Brands survey, US Baby Boomers reported the highest level of concern about packaging waste with 87 percent, compared to Gen X (79%), Millennials (83%) and Gen Z (85%).
“It was surprising,” notes Denis. “The Boomer generation grew up with the original refillable bottle, the milkman and things like that. Packaging has evolved pretty dramatically in their lifetime, so there might be a different kind of awareness that some other generations have.”
Denis adds that her organization will look to investigate generational gaps in plastic waste, recyclability and sustainability in future surveys. “This is going to be a question that I want to follow up on.”
US recycling system unprepared?
If given the option to buy products with recyclable or compostable packaging, 47 percent of US adults would opt for recyclable products as their first choice and 20 percent prefer compostable products.
The question arises, however, whether the US recycling and compostability infrastructure is developed enough to sustain this peaking demand.
“No, I don’t think the recycling system in the US is ready to do that, and I don’t think it can be until we have more uniformity, harmony and some of the standards that we get the technology and the infrastructure up to speed,” Denis flags.
Denis maintains more consistent recycling rules will facilitate consumer education on correct waste disposal.A survey published in April deemed the US recycling system is “broken,” with only 25 percent of waste recycled. Experts from TC Transcontinental and Sidaplax have also shared with PackagingInsights how compostable infrastructure is lacking Europe standards.
That kind of disparity and difference leads to “a lot of confusion,” Denis warns. “In prior surveys we’ve done, we found that only 4 percent of US Americans said they were not confused by recycling, which is pretty spectacular. We have a clear confusion issue.”
“But if we had a more consistent set of rules, it’s way easier to educate consumers to do those meaningful campaigns that really break through, otherwise you’re just talking about this kind of scattershot that’s not going to be as effective,” she concludes.
By Anni Schleicher
