Challenging the idea of consumer apathy to recycling

摘要

A look at packaging recycling rates can be a bit disappointing. Rates have stayed flat for the past few years, and many types of packaging we think of as "100% recyclable" have recycling rates that are a far cry from 100%. Meanwhile, we are coming to rely more and more on a new metric for recyclability: the access-to-recycling rate, or "reach" rate, which tells us the percentage of consumers whose recycling program accepts a given type of packaging. A number of studies on reach rates have been conducted and made publicly for nearly every major type of packaging, and one conclusion always jumps off the page: reach rates tend to be high while recycling rates tend to be significantly lower. Why die disconnect? If the vast majority of consumers have access to recycling, are they simply not using it?