Interest in carton recycling increases, according to survey
Interest in carton recycling increases, according to survey
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A new survey by the Carton Council of North America found 61 percent of respondents reported they always recycle food and beverage cartons, an 11 percent increase from when the survey conducted two years ago. Ninety-four percent of consumers are supportive of recycling. Seventy-four percent believe recycling is important and should be made a priority, and an additional 20 percent think it is somewhat important and people should do what they can to try to recycle.
“It’s reassuring to see positive attitudes toward recycling growing,” Jason Pelz, vice president of recycling projects for the Carton Council of North America and vice president, environment, for Tetra Pak Americas, Denton, Texas, says. “So many companies and organizations have been coming together to make recycling more convenient, efficient and simple in our country, and this affirms that it is having a strong impact.”
The survey asked respondents about their recycling behavior for common recyclables, and the results showed an overall increase in respondents reporting that they always recycle these items. Food and beverage cartons, such as those for milk, juice, broth and soy, are a newer recyclable material in the U.S. recycling stream, and have shown a 61 percent increase of respondents saying they always recycle their food and beverage cartons, up from 50 percent when the survey was last conducted.
“It’s great for us to see consumers taking advantage of the growing availability of carton recycling,” Pelz says. “Today more than 62 percent of American households have access to carton recycling, and we’re excited to continue working with governments, recyclers and many other stakeholders to ensure that every food and beverage carton ends up in a recycling bin and is turned into new, useful products.”
Ninety-four percent of respondents cited environmental or altruistic reasons for recycling, up from 73 percent in 2016. Additionally, consumers have high expectations for the brands they purchase. Fifty-six percent said their loyalty to a food or beverage brand is impacted by the brand’s engagement with environmental causes. The survey also found that consumers expect food and beverage brands to be committed to recycling. Ninety-two percent of respondents said brands should take an active role in helping to increase the recycling of packages, up slightly from 2016.
The survey also reported recycling behaviors broken down by state in two categories:
- States that reported recycling of food and beverage cartons most often; and
- States that have the most supportive outlook of recycling.
Rhode Island ranked number one for both the number of residents who report recycling their cartons most often and for the most supportive views on recycling.
“Rhode Island was one of the first states to promote universal recycling access back in 1986 and we’re still leading the way,” Jared Rhodes, director of policy and programs at Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp., Johnston, Rhode Island, says. “We’re pleased our commitment to recycling education has resulted in positive outlooks and actions. We hope Rhode Islanders continue to recycle their cartons in high numbers, as well as the full suite of recyclables accepted in our mixed recycling program.”
The Carton Council formed in 2009 to increase recycling of cartons used to package many food and beverage products, such as milk, juice, water, soups, broth, wine and beans. The Carton Council is composed of Elopak, with U.S. offices in Wixom, Michigan, SIG Combibloc, Chester, Pennsylvania, Evergreen Packaging, Memphis, Tennessee, and Tetra Pak, as well as an associate member Nippon Dynawave Packaging, Longview, Washington.
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Source: Recycling Today
Interest in carton recycling increases, according to survey
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