Recycling Thwarted by Lack of Bins, Knowledge

For about half of Americans, recycling starts and ends in the kitchen. A new survey shows that 72 percent of consumers consistently recycle in the home, but only about half do so in rooms beyond the kitchen.

The 2014 Cone Communications Recycling in the Home Survey shows there are several key barriers to expanding recycling in the home, including the lack of room-specific recycling bins and clear product labeling.

Americans are willing to recycle, but good intentions aren’t enough, according to the survey’s authors. They say that not having a recycling bin in each room prevents consumers from recycling more. Nearly one-in-five (17 percent) would recycle more if they had better or more convenient recycling bins throughout the house. The majority (56 percent) of recyclers keeps bins in the kitchen.

Bins aren’t the only roadblock to recycling. Consumers also fault not knowing what products or packaging are recyclable and the amount of space recycling requires as additional factors in favor of tossing recyclables in the trash, the survey revealed.

Of the consumers who do recycle, the majority does so because of a genuine concern for the environment (42 percent). Just 10 percent of Americans recycle solely because it is mandatory in their communities.