More than half of people say they recycle less over Christmas due to increased waste, confusion over collections and lack of space in bins, according to a new survey by a specialist waste management company.
More than half of UK households recycle less during the Christmas period as they struggle to manage increased amounts of packaging, wrapping paper and cards, a new survey suggests.
Research commissioned by Sortera UK found that 82% of respondents dealt with extra waste over Christmas, while 80% said they had at least one additional bin bag of rubbish after the festive period. Almost one in three households reported putting out three or more extra bags on bin day.
The survey also found that confusion over festive bin collection days and a lack of space in recycling bins contributed to lower recycling rates. One in five respondents said they were unsure about changes to collections, while nearly a third said there was not enough room in their bins.
Jonathan Younger, marketing director at Sortera UK, said waste levels often increase at a time when recycling rates fall.
“Christmas waste doubles, sometimes even triples, but recycling rates go the other way,” he said. “People feel overwhelmed and the bins fill up fast. The good news is that with a bit of planning, it’s still easy to stay on top of recycling and make sure things go in the right bin”.
Adam Herriott, senior specialist at WRAP, said simple actions could help households manage festive waste more effectively.
“When the bins start to overflow, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed,” he said. “Simple steps such as flattening boxes, reusing gift packaging, and checking any changes to local collections all help keep valuable materials in circulation”.
Sortera has also published a Christmas waste guide aimed at helping households reduce waste and recycle more during the holiday period.