Recycling is a habit. Unlike climate change (or should it be Climate Change) the need for people to recycle, reduce or reuse what they consume is undeniable. There’s no fuzzy science, no grey areas. Just a mass of filthy holes in the ground all too quickly filled with stinking rubbish. And there are only so many landfills.
So. Successful recycling is about connecting with people, and helping them see that it’s a lot easier than it seems. It’s about forming habits, not forcing behaviour. You need simple processes, support from local authorities, and it needs to be a straightforward habit to learn for people who aren’t kept awake by Radley Lake nightmares. Yet.
Idiotic then, as Ecologist senior reporter Mark Anslow points out in last month’s issue, that recycling plastics is so ruddy confusing. Often you’ll see the logo on plastics, but without the important polymer identifier, and you’re very lucky if the council collection will take it away. It’s all down to sorting – bottles only come in three polymer types and are easy to sort on sight. Most other plastics aren’t that easily recognisable, and so are often not collected.
Then, you’ve got the spectacularly counterproductive “This packaging is recyclable” logos. Which show a tick, clearly suggesting that the plastic is recyclable. Only that’s not quite the case…
“Not recyclable everywhere yet.” Yet? So when? And where is it recyclable? Though it carries the link to recyclenow.com, that’s not really much help unless you know what you’re looking for. And, even then, the website won’t actually help you recycle this plastic, as there’s no polymer number.
This packaging comes from Waitrose, which reckons itself as a fairly ecological company. So does Waitrose know the details? Can it tell me where this packaging is recyclable at the moment, or when it will be recyclable elsewhere? I went into my local store to find out…
Can you tell me whether I can recycle this plastic or not?
Waitrose employee: “It’s entirely on which local authority you’re in, isn’t it? Certain local authorities will not accept certain plastics. I wouldn’t think we would know because certain branches of Waitrose may cross local boundaries.”
Do you think that people higher up in Waitrose might be able to tell me?
Waitrose employee: “I can get the duty manager…”
Duty manager: “There will be a dedicated part of the customer service that can help…”
It’s worth noting that both people I spoke to were helpful, and neither looked at me in a way that suggested they thought I was mad, over-enthusiastic or making a big fuss. Unlike the look I get from many of my colleagues at work, mostly when I’m going through their bins. This, I believe, is called A Good Start.
But I wondered if other people had spoken up, approached these employees, or perhaps made other protests.
Do you have many people wanting to talk you about recycling?
Duty manager: “Oh, yes. Lots.”
Do people often unwrap shopping and leave the packaging behind?
Duty manager: “Yes, that happens.”
How does that make you feel?
Duty manager: “From my point of view, I’d prefer if people came and talked to us about it, because it is frustrating when people are leaving things behind. But lots of people are worried about this kind of thing, and that’s totally valid.”
This made me reconsider my own intentions – I’ve occasionally unpacked needlessly packaged items and left the plastic behind, as a (very middle-class) sort of quiet protest. But am I just annoying the people who might support schemes to cut down on such packaging, and making them less likely to take an interest?
It’s obvious that local stores aren’t equipped to advise customers on recycling. And not just because supermarkets aren’t shouldering the responsibility (which, as producers of packaging, they really should be) but also because getting your head around what can or can’t be recycled isn’t nearly as easy or understandable as it should be.
Next step, Waitrose customer service line. Hopefully they’ll be just as welcoming – but of more practical use – than their employees on the front line.
