UK: worst in Europe on the environment

UK ‘worst in Europe on the environment’ according to yellow pages recycling survey









The UK is seen as the worst country in Europe at protecting the




environment, according to the latest Yellow Pages Annual Recycling




Survey. Sweden is ranked the greenest country in Europe, with Germany a




close second. But the list of poor performers is easily topped by the




UK, followed by Spain and France.









The survey suggests the UK Government has a huge task ahead to improve




its perceived record on the environment, being awarded an average of




just 4.9 marks out of ten for its performance. Local authorities do




slightly better, scoring an average of 5.7 out of ten.









On the domestic front, households show a dwindling track record on




recycling with a worrying 16 per cent of people polled admitting to




recycling nothing at all. This is up from 13 per cent in the previous




survey. Meanwhile, 31 per cent say they recycle ‘only a small amount’ –




down from 35 per cent.









Asked why they do not do more, a third of households who say they




recycle nothing, or ‘only a small amount’, say they cannot be bothered.




Three in ten say their nearest site is too far away, while 16 per cent




say they mean to do more, but just never get round to it.









Just over half – 53 per cent – of UK households do, however, claim to




recycle everything or ‘quite a lot’. This is similar to the 52 per cent




recorded in the previous survey. Of those who do recycle, the latest




survey shows an increase in the recycling of newspapers and magazines,




glass, cardboard, plastics and garden produce.









The majority of people surveyed – eight out of ten – buy recycled goods




though, with recycled toilet paper top of the poll. And 60 per cent of




all respondents are willing to pay more for goods with a perceived




environmental benefit. When asked what was the most polluting item they




use, one in five people single out their car, 39 per cent of whom would




be willing to swap it for something more environmental.









Half of all people are interested in knowing about a company’s




environmental track record and 12 per cent have boycotted a company




because of it. But the perception amongst almost a quarter is that




companies are doing more for the environment today than they were five




years ago.









Asked to name the nation’s ‘green heroes’, 29 per cent cite the




environmental organisation, Greenpeace and four per cent, Friends of




the Earth. Meanwhile oil and petro-chemical companies are seen as our




environmental ‘villains’.









Recycling seen as “a waste of time for most households” in South Africa




survey Here is an interesting insight on attitudes to recycling from




a recent copy of the South African publication Business Day, in




Johannesburg.









Recycling is not ranked very highly in the life of the average South




African. A mere 11% of adults in SA take the effort to recycle material




such as paper, glass, plastic and vegetable waste.









Water recycling fares slightly better, with 16% of South Africans




saving water to reuse in their gardens. As expressed in the March 2000




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