Public unimpressed with government action on waste

A nationwide survey carried out on behalf of Riverside Waste Machinery has revealed that only 29.6% of respondents felt that enough was been done at government level to highlight the importance of waste diversion.

Younger people – those aged 18 to 24 – were least impressed with the Government’s efforts, with only 26.5% of participants from this age group believing ministers are doing enough.

Those aged 65 and above were most content, with 36.9% believing enough effort is being made. Results also suggested different attitudes amongthe Welsh, with 41.5% of respondents from Wales satisfied with the Government’s efforts.

Riverside’s managing director, Chris Oldfield, felt that the survey findings demonstrated that education remains a crucial issue. “Such statistics may surprise some people, but this has simply reaffirmed my belief that more has to be done,” he said.

“Time and resource need to be spent educating the entire population from the bottom up because everybody has a role to play in the UK’s waste chain one way or another.

“We cannot ignore the issues facing the UK as a whole, and we must concentrate on encouraging everyone to make a difference. However this isn’t about allocating blame – it’s about taking positive steps to initiate positive change.”

Maxine Perella