NEW data from DS Smith has revealed that Gen Z (those born from 1997 and 2012) lack confidence in their ability to recycle.
Although often considered to be the most environmentally conscious, of all the age groups surveyed they were found to lack the most confidence.
The survey showed that they are less confident on what packaging can be recycled (66%) than over 55s (81%), and twice as likely not to know where to find advice on recycling (11%) compared to just 4% of over 55s.
Two thirds of Gen Z respondents (67%) blame barriers to recycling in the UK, compared to 41% of over 55s, which DS Smith said suggests that changes to the UK recycling infrastructure may be needed to improve recycling among the younger generation.
Respondents cited confusion over what recyclable items go into which bins (20%) and not enough recycling bins from local authorities (16%) as issues. Labelling is also a key factor, with 63% of Gen Z saying recycling labels on packaging are hard to understand.
Rogier Gerritsen, MD at DS Smith Recycling said, “There is no doubt that people want to play their part in helping the environment. The challenge is making things as simple as possible to enable people to do so.
“With the UK setting ambitious targets for paper and card recycling over the next decade, it’s time to re-think our approach to recycling. Continued collaboration between policy makers, local authorities and the recycling sector is key to make sure we have a recycling infrastructure that makes it easy for consumers to understand.”
