Lack of Bins is Number One Roadblock to Recycling at Home: Cone Communications Survey
by Vikas Vij
The 2014 Cone Communications Recycling in the Home Survey, in partnership with the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies as part of its Care to Recycle program, has revealed that the biggest barrier to recycling at home is lack of bins. Recycling efforts at home often do not go beyond the kitchen despite a genuine concern among the consumers to protect the environment.
Lack of room-specific recycling bins and clear product labeling are the leading roadblock to recycling more in many homes. 17 percent of the survey participants said that they would recycle more often if they had better or more convenient recycling bins throughout the house. 56 percent of recyclers keep bins in the kitchen, as opposed to other rooms throughout the house.
In addition to the lack of proper bins at home, many consumers also lack the knowledge of what products or packaging are recyclable. The amount of space recycling requires also proves to be deterrent to some. These become additional factors in favor of throwing away recyclables in trash.
An interesting insight from the Cone Communications survey is that 42 percent of the consumers who do recycle do so because of a genuine concern for the environment. Only 10 percent of Americans recycle solely because it is mandatory in their communities. Other motivations to recycle include a feeling of guilt about the amount of trash they create (17%), a desire to be a good role model (14%) and having a chance to earn incentives (14%).
Vikas is a staff writer for the Sustainable Development news and editorial section on Justmeans. He is an MBA with 20 years of managerial and entrepreneurial experience and global travel. He is the author of "The Power of Money" (Scholars, 2003), a book that presents a revolutionary monetary economic theory on poverty alleviation in the developing world. Vikas is also the official writer for an international social project for developing nations "Decisions for Life" run in collaboration between the ILO, the University of Amsterdam and the Indian Institute of Management.
