The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has published the Australasian Recycling Label Consumer Insights Report 2023, its annual benchmarking survey exploring consumer recycling attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours in Australia and New Zealand.
The report reveals three-quarters of Australians (74%) still believe that a trip to the recycling bin is the most impactful thing they can do for the environment. Regular recycling was voted more environmentally impactful than reusable shopping bags (61%), switching the lights off (58%) and using refillable containers (43%).
However, when it comes to recycling, confusion remains a challenge. Half of Australian households (50%) find it difficult to know what can and can’t be recycled at home and the majority (65%) want more information about how to recycle.
Australians are also embracing their local drop off point. 21% head to their local container deposit scheme (CDS) to drop off plastic bottles, while 30% use the service to earn cash on their aluminium cans.
On-pack labelling continues to present the best channel for businesses to help customers recycle packaging correctly. Packaging labels are the most common place people look for recycling advice (62% of Australians look at least once), while half would look to the signage around their bins (52%) or a Google search (52%).
The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) continues to play an important role in helping Australians put packaging in the right bin. Awareness of the ARL has continued to grow steadily year on year (47% in 2018 to 76% in 2023) and the majority (76%) want to see it on all packaging (74%).
APCO CEO, Chris Foley said, “Understanding the pain points that everyday people are experiencing at the bin is an essential part of building an effective recycling system. One year on from the closure of the much-loved REDcycle program, it’s encouraging to see that Australians still trust and value recycling.
“For businesses, it’s essential we reward that trust by providing accurate recycling information to make the process as simple as possible. We know the ARL plays a vital role in helping consumers make responsible purchasing and packaging recycling decisions. More than that, it’s a great tool for businesses to understand the materials they are using in their packaging and what the environmental outcomes are.”