Surveying 2,004 UK adults, the results also show that 46% of the public want to see a charge introduced on single-use packaging, similar to the carrier bag levy introduced 10 years ago.
42% of people have called for a nationwide ban on plastic-wrapped fruit and veg, plastic water bottles and all single-use plastic bags.
Encouragingly, consumers are continuing to try and make their habits count, with 58% of respondents stating they have endeavoured to cut back on single-use packaging in the last year.
Barriers
Despite the strong public support, systemic barriers are said to remain. 25% of respondents reported a lack of available options, while 20% cited a lack of reusable and refillable options for their preferred brands.
52% reported their confused with the language used to describe sustainable initiatives, indicating the lack of education from industry and government is another hinderance to adoption, with more clarity needed.
Only 36% felt comfortable asking for a reusable bottle to be refilled in a café, restaurant or pub when they haven’t made a purchase, suggesting businesses need to make these services “more welcoming and explicit”.
Everyday habits such as using reusable shopping bags (68%) and water bottles (58%) have become ingrained in consumer habits. 76% reported that they’d be likely to use refill or reusable packaging for food cupboard items such as pasta, rice, cereals and coffee. 69% stated they would use refillable options for drinks including juice and spirits.
Jane Martin, CEO of City to Sea said, “Following decisive action against wet wipes and single-use plastic cutlery and plates over the last two years, these last 10 months have felt slow on plastic action.’
“With EPR finally ironed out and a DRS on the way, the government has a clear opportunity to not just ban some of the most polluting single-use plastic items but incentivise reusable packaging to help consumers make the sustainable switches they desperately want to do. Each year our research shows the public are crying out for change when it comes to our single-use plastic culture but aren’t clear on how they can really help. It’s time for an industry-wide and government-supported reuse revolution to close the chapter for good on single-use and move to a sustainable future.”
City to Sea is calling for “legally binding and ambitious targets” for reusable packaging and collaboration across retailers to see a shift in the packaging sector away from single use.
The full report can be viewed here.
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