Research released to coincide with the launch of Climate Week, Britain’s biggest climate change campaign, found that 83% of people recycled most days, 63% of people expressed a desire to help prevent climate change and more than half (56%) believed that their actions could make a real difference.

In addition, 94% of respondents did not usually throw away clothes and 96% did not dispose of their old mobile phones.

The survey, carried out by market research company Ipsos MORI, revealed that the majority of respondents (65%) recycled, resold or gave away their phones and five million adults in Britain never throw food away.

Unwanted clothes are predominantly donated to charity (61%) followed by recycling (12%), however, 25-34 year olds are looking for more enterprising options and most likely to sell their unwanted clothes.

Another promising trend revealed by the survey is that only 5% of people throw away food on a daily basis indicating a nation that is highly resourceful when it comes making the most of leftovers.

Climate Week CEO Kevin Steelesaid: “Our survey clearly shows that people in Britain want to protect the environment and are taking action every day that helps to do so. This picture is confirmed by the half a million people around the UK who are attending events run for Climate Week.”

Climate Week’s partner Crown Paints has launched a scheme encouraging people to take unused paint to its decorating centres. In addition, its headline partner Andrex has a toilet roll that is 90% recycled and 10% bamboo – which uses five times less land than trees.

Climate Week runs from the 4th to the 10th March 2013 with half a million people taking part in more than 3,000 events across the country.

Conor McGlone

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