Biffa: Almost half of UK still ‘baffled’ by recycling

The waste management company commissioned OnePoll to conduct a poll of 2,000 people which revealed that 47% struggle to know what is and isn’t recyclable.  

One in four (26%) went so far as to say they “dread” sorting their recycling as they’re unsure what might not be collected. 

The research showed confusion over whether items go into the residual waste or recycling bins – with 21% not knowing that aerosol cans can be recycled if they are completely empty.  

At the same time, 44% of respondents did not know that polystyrene is unrecyclable and should be put in general waste.  

16% were unaware that metal bottle tops can be recycled and 12% said they put tins in the residual waste bin.  

Roger Wright, waste strategy and packaging manager at Biffa, which commissioned the research, said: “Clear and accessible recycling information is key to helping individuals make more sustainable choices. 

“We can see from these findings that there are clearly good intentions when it comes to recycling. 

“People care about the environmental impact of their rubbish, however, there is still a lot of confusion as to what can and can’t be recycled and many people are still struggling to get it right. 

“Recycling rates across the UK have broadly stagnated, even declining in some regions, so it’s crucial we all play our part in helping the public understand what can and can’t be recycled.” 

69% of respondents said they think there should be more information available to help people recycle properly and 75% said they believe product packaging needs to have clearer instructions around recyclability.  

Biffa added that it has “long called” for clearer and more consistent recycling labelling on packaging to help make it easier to sort recycling correctly. 

Notably, the research found that 53% of adults are recycling multiple times a day at home, but this decreases to 17% at the office – despite 45% believing recycling efforts have improved in their workplace in the last five years. 

From 31 March 2025, Simpler Recycling legislation will mean that all businesses with 10 or more full-time employees will have to separate dry mixed recycling (paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, metals), food waste and residual waste. 

Want to hear more about Simpler Recycling? Come to the Letsrecycle.com Food Waste conference on 6 March 2025 in London. Find out more and buy tickets here.