Why a lack of transparency and trust is hindering the recycling efforts of 39 per cent of the UK
17th December 2019 | Commercial Energy
This year marks the third consecutive year of reductions in the number of people who regularly donate money to charities in the UK. Considering in 2015, a report by True and Fair Foundation revealed one-in-five charities spend less than half their income on good causes, the decline is hardly surprising. As a sector which requires the trust of the public to succeed, the lack of financial transparency exposed more than a decade ago caused shock waves which are still impacting public perceptions of charities. The public still feels misled. The lack of transparency of the third sector has been to its great detriment.
Problems surrounding a lack of transparency are not the only thing inhibiting trust in the third sector. A lack of clarity, openness and education about Britain’s recycling infrastructure and where recycling goes is equally problematic. As a global society we are increasingly concerned about the mountain of evidence highlighting environmental damage. Almost half of 18-24 year-olds have placed environmental issues as one of the UK’s three most pressing concerns. Yet for a nation that wants to be better educated on how it can live a more sustainable life, there is a distinct lack of trust in the system.
Recycling
With distrust comes disillusion. According to research from Viridor, only one-in-ten Britons trust the government to ensure waste is recycled properly. A meter one-in-three are very confident they put waste in the right bins and a sizable 39 per cent of the UK believes its separated general and recyclable waste all goes to the same place. Questions around how to recycle properly, how to buy sustainably packaged products and where recycling ends up, cloud an understanding of the system.
The packaging industry is ever evolving. In recent years, innovation to create packaging that has an end of life cycle has flourished with alternatives to plastic more readily available than ever before. However, with the advancement in viable alternatives to plastic comes a required increase in methods of ensuring the packaging is recycled correctly. Yet despite strategies that encourage the public to buy alternative materials, improvements to the UK’s recycling processes are moving at a snail’s pace.
More information available on the website below
https://geographical.co.uk/opinion/item/3559-recycling-transparency