No Cure Without Effort: Practical Steps Towards Improving Waste Recycling

The Department of Food Environment and Rural Administration (DEFRA) reports that the UK's current recycling rate is 45%. DEFRA has set an ambitious target of reaching a 65% recycling rate by 2035. Analysts suggest that active citizen participation is key to meeting this goal along with the implementation of appropriate policies.

This article seeks to highlight the role individuals can play in improving recycling rates, building upon the waste hierarchy discourse in our last post Prevention Is Better Than Cure: Leveraging the Waste Management Hierarchy. Through the adoption of straightforward yet impactful practices, everyone can contribute to building a more sustainable future.

Here are some easily actionable steps individuals can implement:

• Consistently raise awareness and nudge members of the household to recycle more

• Separate and sort waste at the source and dispose of waste in the appropriate curbside bins

• Support Government waste management Initiatives such as the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)

• Post a list or printout of materials that can be recycled in a visible place

• Avoid throwing recyclables in the general waste bins

• Buy reusable and recyclable products

• Practice home composting

Join the Nudge Display team as we strive for a greener future through behavioural change. Together, we can make a difference, one step at a time, by implementing these small adjustments.