Boomers are best for recycling, study finds as top 10 items Brits mistakenly throw away revealed

THE top 10 items Brits mistakenly throw away have been revealed.

Boomers have been praised as the nation’s best recyclers with their much younger rivals in Gen Z being one of the worst. according to a fascinating new study.

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A countrywide poll of 2,000 adults has finally spilt the beans on the UK’s recycling habits with the youngest generation said to be more likely to bin than recycle.

This comes despite the social group’s perception that see’s them widely regarded as the most eco-friendly.

Those under 27 were awarded the honour of the worst paper and cardboard recyclers.

As Boomers soared to the top of the chart with the stats showing 54 per cent of them successfully place things in the right bin.

The reasons why Gen Z tend to struggle to recycle is said to be because of not being available in public spaces, a lack of knowledge around recycling and a fear of cross-contamination.

The fascinating data shows that a whopping 92  per cent of young adults admit to throwing something in the bin instead of recycling it simply because they couldn’t be bothered to clean it out.

Gen Z were also seen as the most likely to admit to being left baffled around what can and can’t go in what type if bin.

More than half of those aged under 27 said they often get confused by the rules of recycling, according to the OnePoll.com data.

This leads to a lot of improper recycling with food waste and plastic bags the most likely items to go in the wrong bin for Gen Z’s.

The number one item that is binned by Brits when it should have been recycled is old toothpaste tubes.

Second is food waste, followed by packaging with leftover food.

The UK’s recycling rate is stagnating, and more education is needed to help everyone – whatever your age – start to see recycling not as waste, but how to make the most of materials

Michael OryeDS Smith

Lower down the list is clothes, aerosol cans and batteries among other typical household items.

Michael Orye, managing director of Recycling and Paper in Europe, at DS Smith – the company who commissioned the research – said: “What we’re seeing is a generational gap when it comes to recycling.

“There’s no doubt that all generations want to play their part in helping the environment.

“The challenge is getting people to understand the role recycling plays in this.”

Cardboard, paper and plastic bottles usually find the correct home for the older generations but the opposite is true for younger people.

Interestingly enough the data does show that despite their unimpressive record at recycling, Gen Z are more likely to approach a person who has incorrectly binned an item.

In total, 31 per cent of people say it is the government’s responsibility to get more people into recycling.

Another 26 per cent think it is down to the local council instead.

However 77 per cent do say they are committed to a sustainable lifestyle.

Michael Orye continued: “The research shows that younger people want to do their bit for the environment – but confusion over what is and isn’t ok when it comes to recycling is a major part of the problem.

“The UK’s recycling rate is stagnating, and more education is needed to help everyone – whatever your age – start to see recycling not as waste, but how to make the most of materials.

“We must come together to tackle this problem head on and ensure that all generations have the information to become elite recyclers.”