81% Brits support refill points to cut plastic waste – survey
16th June 2021 | Recycling
- 74% of Brits would like to see more refill options for items such as dried foods, laundry detergents and take-away coffee.
- 81% of Brits want the government to make refillable products more widely available
- 73% think plastic pollution is as bad or worse than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic
- 55% think grocery retailers and big name brands are not doing enough to address plastic pollution
More than 80% of Brits want the government to make refillable products a central part of its strategy for tackling the plastic pollution crisis, according to a survey. Released on World Refill Day, the research found almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of respondents think plastic pollution is as bad or worse than it was before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A third have had a reusable container such as a coffee cup rejected in the last 12 months, despite guidance stating they are Covid-safe for servers to handle as long as basic hygiene practice is followed. The survey of 2000 adults conducted in May this year found 80 per cent were taking steps to reduce their consumption of single-use plastic.
Commissioned by Friends of the Earth and anti-plastic pollution charity City to Sea, the research found 81 per cent wanted the UK Government to prioritise making refillable products more widely available. It found 74 per cent would like to see more refill options for items such as dried foods, laundry detergents and take-away coffee.
Three in four reported feelings of “anxiety, frustration or hopelessness” at the amount of plastic packaging that comes with their shopping. More than half of those surveyed (55 per cent) think grocery retailers and big name brands are not doing enough to address plastic pollution.
A further 59 per cent said supermarkets were not offering enough refillable, reusable or packaging-free products.
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81% Brits support refill points to cut plastic waste – survey