Saving money is motivating sustainable lifestyle choices for Australians

According to Cleanaway's 2023 Recycling Behaviours Report, more and more Aussies are opting for sustainable habits, with eight in 10 Aussies are opting to repair items rather than replace them, and six in ten are buying secondhand.

The report also revealed that when it comes to recycling, despite most people (90 per cent) considering it important, we’re becoming increasingly confused. A lack of understanding is leading to simple sorting errors, with more than half of us (62 per cent) not correctly placing takeaway coffee cups in the general waste bin!

Results found more than one third of people (38 per cent) still find recycling confusing, an increase of nine per cent from 2021, while nearly half (44 per cent) say it’s hard to find clear instructions. Of more concern, a massive four in five Aussies (81 per cent) misidentified a common recycling symbol, with serious implications for kerbside recycling.

Clean Up Australia Chairperson, Pip Kiernan, says confusion is still a leading cause of our recycling and waste disposal mistakes.  “Recycling confusion is a common theme throughout each of Cleanaway’s annual Recycling Behaviours Reports. We are keen to demystify recycling, because in reality, there’s only a small amount of effort required from each of us to create sustainable change.”
 
The report also lifts the lid on our everyday recycling behaviours, proving we’re still getting simple sorting wrong despite our good intentions. More than half of us (53 per cent) incorrectly dispose of takeaway coffee cups in kerbside recycling bins rather than general waste, and 32 per cent of people are still incorrectly placing soft plastics into their recycling bins.
 

Cleanaway Sustainability Manager, Rebecca Evered, says “Unfortunately, there are several easily avoided recycling mistakes that have severe consequences. For instance, simply putting batteries and e-waste such as mobile phones in our kerbside bins can lead to fires or explosions in garbage trucks and at waste facilities – an issue we’re dealing with far too often,” she says.
 
Despite our move to re-using and repairing (elements of the circular economy), more than half of us (58 per cent) are still unfamiliar with the term ‘circular economy’ – a system involving the continual recycling and re-use of products and materials into the same or different products.

As part of its commitment to recycling education, Cleanaway has a dedicated Recycling Hub with answers to common questions and is encouraging all Australians to visit the website and check their knowledge, or alternatively seek information from their local council.