AO launches collect and recycle service

The collect and recycle service allows people to book a slot for £20 to have appliances collected from households by AO workers. The company said the service was launched to reduce fly-tipping, and comes after a survey AO commissioned which shows that people under the age of 24 are the least likely to recycle.

Survey

The survey explored attitudes towards “responsible recycling”, including common household goods.

Based on responses from 4,200 people across the UK, the ‘White Lies report’ showed that 18-24 year olds are the worse generation when it comes to recycling, being the least likely to recycle common household products such as cans, bottles, plastics and paper.

Rob Sant, MD of AO Recycling said: “Our report shows that a huge number of people either aren’t motivated enough to recycle, or they don’t understand how to recycle common household waste properly, which is why I feel it is the responsibility of retailers and manufacturers to make it as easy as possible for people to recycle these items.

“We’re giving people the option of having their old appliances collected from their doorstep, which saves both a a trip to the tip and the headache of having to dispose of an appliance yourself”.

As outlined below, the report showed that the 18-24 age bracket is the worst performing when it comes to household items. The survey asked: ‘Which, if any, of the following items do you ever recycle in your household?’

Over 55s

The report showed that over 55’s are much more likely to recycle common household products than 18 to 24 year olds.

AO said that 88% of respondents admit to sometimes binning electrical items such as hair dryers, straighteners and curling wands, without considering the option of recycling.

The research, which was undertaken by YouGov, showed that 66% of 18-24 year olds claim to recycle, with this climbing to 87% for over 55s. 94% of people aged 55 and over say that they recycle paper, however this falls to 76% for 18-24 year olds.

AO said that the report highlights the importance of education in recycling, as not enough people know how to responsibly recycle electric and other domestic goods.