48% of People Don't Fully Understand Recycling Symbols
- Written by News Company
In years gone by, we were relatively unaware of how our actions held the potential to negatively affect the very planet that we live on. However, thanks to advances in research and technology, recent years have seen the average person become much more aware of how their lifestyle is proving detrimental to the environment. World class documentaries and ongoing news reports have helped to raise awareness surrounding major issues such as global warming, oceanic pollution, deforestation, and various other environmental issues. This has also increased individual willingness to change. One of the most common lifestyle changes that people are willing to implement into their lifestyles is recycling. However, a recent study has found that 48% of people do not fully understand recycling symbols placed on packaging and are consequently struggling to recycle effectively. So, with such potential for change, what can we do to ensure that we are doing our utmost to recycle properly and effectively?
Clearer Packaging
The first step to take would seem to be making product packaging clearer and more comprehensive in regards to recycling. While other information, such as product ingredients and storage suggestions may be clear, recycling information can often be misleading or so intricate that people grow tired of reading before they have fully understood. ARL (Australasian Recycling Labelling) are a company who are aiming to end this confusion, saving individuals’ time and reducing waste!
Increased Awareness of Recycling Options
Sure, you can recycle many items easily from home, disposing of your household waste in dedicated wheelie bins. However, the average individual’s recycling bin solely comprises of three sections - paper, plastic, and glass. The majority of other goods are thrown into a general waste bin or taken to a local trash dump where it is deposited into landfill. But this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. It’s time to raise awareness of alternative recycling services, such as metal recyclers, battery recycling, and ink cartridge recycling.
Increase Landfill Levies
When it comes to matters of waste recycling on a larger level, you should encourage your local politician to increase landfill levies. This would give large businesses and corporations who produce tonnes of trash on an annual basis an immediate and logical incentive to reduce the amount of waste that they produce. When people are fuelled by greed or a thirst for profit, you need to take action where it will hit their wallets. Not only will the landfill levies reduce the amount of waste being dumped rather than recycled, but any money made from the venture can also be put to good use.
While we may be moving forward in our journey towards fostering a more eco-friendly society, it’s important that we continue our progress rather than settling with what we have achieved so far! There’s so much more that we can do to protect our planet and the above steps are just a few ideas to get us started in the right direction to achieve our goals.