New statistics on recycling were noted in the Los Angeles Times this week, and they’re surprising if you thought recycling was on the upswing: In 2010, 38% of Americans said consumers should take responsibility for recycling product packaging, down from 42% in 2009.
Consumers are also less willing to pay for environmentally friendly packaging even though most shoppers polled say manufacturers should produce more of it, according to the study “Packaging and the Environment,” conducted by the New Jersey marketing firm Perception Research Services.
Although the percentage of consumers interested in buying products made from recycled materials has increased, from 39% in 2009 to 48% last year, just 17% of consumers say they check a package to see if it could be recycled before buying a product. One-third of respondents say they do not recycle any packaging at all.
Do these statistics match up with your experience in your community? How about your workplaces/schools/organizations?