Just one in five (21%) say they always read the recycling instructions on product packaging; this increases to almost one in three (31%) in the 25 – 34 age group but drops to 17% for those aged 65 and over. However, almost one in ten (9%) say they never bother reading whether the packaging they have bought can be recycled.
The survey also points to a problem with the recycling instructions producers are using on their packaging. Only 10% of Brits say they always find instructions on how to dispose of packaging easy to understand, over half 52% describing them as “sometimes” understandable and just 29% saying they are “often” easy to understand. When asked which every-day packaging is the easiest to dispose of and recycle, over half (53%) stated paper; followed by glass (18%), plastic (13%), mixed materials (9%) and metal (e.g. aluminium) (7%).
The findings highlight the enormous challenge the Government faces when it comes to the 12 million tonnes of packaging waste thrown away in the UK annually, a significant proportion of which is plastic or complex flexible packaging using conventional plastic which is difficult to sort and recycle. To tackle the problem, the Government introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on 1 January 2025, which is intended to shift the responsibility from consumers to producers, incentivizing them to create recyclable packaging and providing clearer guidance to consumers, ultimately leading to a more straightforward and less confusing recycling process.
EPR mandates the use of universally understandable labels on packaging, indicating whether an item is recyclable or not, simplifying the process for consumers. By making producers financially responsible for the collection and recycling of their packaging, EPR encourages them to design products and packaging that are easier to recycle and reuse, reducing the amount of difficult-to-recycle material on the market. EPR also aims to fund improvements in recycling infrastructure and education, further supporting easier and more efficient recycling practices.
However, Aquapak is calling on the Government to ensure that legislation underpinning the EPR enables producers to use new materials if they are to decrease the total environmental impact of their products by moving away for hard to recycle conventional plastics.
