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ITV News Recycling Survey

Survey of 2,014 British adults about recycling on behalf of ITV News.

Combatting Global Climate Change

  • Recycling is considered one of the most effective ways of combatting global climate change by the British public. Around nine in ten say they think it is effective, closely behind planting more trees (88%) and ahead of increasing the use of renewable energy (85%) and improving housing insulation (85%).
  • ”Green taxes” on products with high carbon emissions are considered the least effective way of combatting global climate change, with around half (52%) saying it would be effective and more than a third (38%) saying its ineffective.

 

Views on Recycling

  • Four in five British adults (81%) agree that recycling makes a real difference to the environment, with three-quarters (76%) saying that recycling is an effective way of bringing down our carbon emissions.
  • This may explain the care people take in doing recycling, with more than four in five Britons (83%) saying they always split out their rubbish into different recycling bins and only 14% agreeing that splitting their rubbish is a waste of time.
  • Looking at their actions on a wider scale, just a quarter of British adults (23%) agree that the recycling in their household won’t make a difference to climate change; 63% disagree.

 

Regular activities to reduce carbon emissions

  • Of all of the activities tested, the British public most regularly recycle household waste in a bid to reduce carbon emissions (86%); closely followed by always switching lights off when they leave a room (81%).
  • Seven in ten Britons say they only fill the kettle with as much water as needed in order to reduce carbon emissions (70%) and 60% use the washing machine at a lower temperature.
  • Having said this, less than half of British adults (48%) always switch off appliances such as TVs and kettles at the wall sockets.
  • Only one in five Britons (20%) say they have reduced the amount of meat they eat in order to reduce carbon emissions, whilst only 12% share bath water with other members of the household.

Date Published: 27th November 2015

Categories: Consumer | GB | Politics | Public and communities | Social

Client: ITV News

Methodology

Methodology Note: ComRes interviewed 2,014 British adults online between 20th and 22nd November 2015. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

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