Recycle Week: 8 surprising statistics about waste

With green groups and recycling campaigners gearing up for a week of awareness-raising events, edie brings you 8 fascinating facts about waste and resource management.


The good news is that recycling is on the up in the UK, with England’s recycling rate up to 45% as of last year. Wales is storming ahead with some of the highest recycling rates in the UK.

But almost a third of UK consumers remain unaware of what can be recycled. Young people have also been found less likely than over-55s to recycle everything they can, with 75% of the older group reporting they recycle as much as possible.

Therefore, WRAP’s 15th annual Recycle Week is aiming to encourage the public to recycle more around the home.

In addition to recycling, many sustainability professionals want to push forward the idea of a circular economy. But a survey by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment showed 88% of professionals believe their industry is not doing enough towards this target.

So, here are some more key numbers for waste, recycling and the circular economy to mark this year’s Recycle Week. Click the pic for the full story.

Matt Field

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