Survey reveals British public views on recycling drinks packaging
Image: Ball
As we enter Recycle Week (24-30 September 2018), Ball Corporation have launched a survey revealing that plastic pollution is a high concern amongst all age groups.
86% of all British adults claim to be worried about plastic pollution, with almost a third (31%) of them stating not enough drinks are available in non-plastic packaging where they shop and there are not enough recycling bins in public spaces. However even if they could, nearly a fifth (18%) of the British public, increasing to over a quarter (26%) of millennials aged 18–34 years don’t understand what they can and cannot recycle.
Aluminium cans offer a fully recyclable alternative to drinking from plastic bottles or cups, and achieve very high recycling rates of 72% in the UK, (69% globally) which is much higher than the global recycling rates for plastic and glass containers at 43% and 46% respectively. Yet a third of people (36.5%) wrongly believe that aluminum beverages are recycled at the same rate as plastic bottles or glass containers. Furthermore, over a third of people (37%) don’t know that aluminum cans can be recycled infinitely without losing quality, when in fact, nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today, as aluminum retains its properties indefinitely.
Ramon Arratia, sustainability director at Ball Beverage Packaging Europe said: “Making a positive choice for an aluminium beverage, which is one of the most sustainable and eco-friendly forms of packaging on the shelves, is one small but significant thing we can all do to help protect the environment. Regardless of colour or design, the can is fully recyclable, and we currently have 72% recycling rates in the UK, with 90% of these cans recycled in continental Europe. By contrast, the global recycling rates for plastic and glass are 43% and 46% respectively. The UK already has all the infrastructure for recycling cans in place which means this is not a solution for the future, but rather something we can all do right now.”