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Public Attitudes to the Environment in Scotland

4.3 PREDICTED RECYCLING BEHAVIOURS WITH DOOR-STEP COLLECTION SERVICE

Respondents were also asked whether they would recycle various materials if they were collected from their doorstep. Three quarters of people or more said that they would recycle each type of material considered: paper, glass, cans and plastic (Table 4.8). Most people (seven in ten) said they would recycle every one of the materials, while fewer than one in ten said they would not recycle any of the materials. The remaining fifth were selective over materials they said they would recycle with a door-step collection service (Table 4.9). These findings should perhaps be treated with some caution in light of the finding above, that half of those with home collection of glass at present, do not recycle any of their glass.

Table 4.8 shows the proportion of people who said they would recycle each material, in relation to current recycling behaviour for that material. Among those who did not currently recycle some, most or all of their glass, paper, cans and plastic, the proportions saying they would do so with a doorstep collection service ranged from three quarters for glass, cans and plastic to over eight in ten for paper (82%). The vast majority of those who said they already recycled all, most or some of these materials said they would recycle them with a doorstep collection service - although between 3% and 6% said they would not.

There were notable variations in whether people said they would recycle materials with a door-step collection service, according to age, where they lived and their level of education. There were no differences by sex. Table 4.9 classifies people according to whether they said that with a doorstep collection service they would be willing to recycle every type of material considered, some types of material or none.

Younger and older people were less likely than those in the middle two age groups (aged 25-64) to say they would recycle with a doorstep collection; 62% of those aged 16-24 said they would recycle all materials, compared with 73% of those aged 45-64 (Table 4.9). Those with higher educational qualifications were most likely to say they would recycle the various materials. Only 2% of those with degrees or professional qualifications said they would not recycle any materials compared with 12% of those with no educational qualifications. Those who owned their own homes were more likely to take this view than renters (73% of home owners said they would recycle each type of material compared with 62% of private renters and 60% of social renters). Those living in the large urban areas and other urban areas were

less likely to say they would recycle all types of material than those in other areas - for example 65% of those in large urban areas said this compared with 82% of those living in remote rural areas.

4.4 BARRIERS TO USING A DOOR-STEP COLLECTION SERVICE FOR RECYCLING

All respondents were asked which of a number of things might prevent them from using a door-step recycling service. Interestingly, over half the respondents said that nothing would be a barrier to using a door-step recycling service. Overall the biggest potential barrier was seen to be the issue of space, with over a third of people saying that not having the space to store different types of waste might prevent them from using a doorstep collection service. Just over one in ten (13%) said they might be too busy to separate waste or that it could be too much trouble to separate waste, and only 2% said they didn't think recycling was important. One per cent of respondents raised the issue of waste not being collected regularly enough and said this could prevent them using a door-step recycling service (table not shown).

The proportions of people citing space and time as potential barriers to recycling varied by socio-demographic characteristics (Table 4.10). Of particular note, those in social rented housing, large urban areas and other urban areas were most likely to say that space would be a constraint (39-40%), and those in remote rural areas were least likely to say this (13%). This ties in with the current recycling behaviours identified in Section 4.2. Those in the youngest age group were more likely to cite time/ trouble as a potential barrier to recycling than those in older age groups (20% of 16-24 year olds said this compared with 9% of those aged 45-64).

4.5 COMPOSTING

As well as information on recycling behaviours and views, the survey also gathered some information on composting of kitchen or garden waste. There is a national target to recycle or compost 25% of municipal waste by 2006. Composting is also one way in which Scotland aims to achieve its targets on waste minimisation ⁵³. One in five respondents said that some of their kitchen or garden waste was composted, with all such waste being composted by just over half of these respondents (12% of the whole sample). Most of those who composted kitchen or garden waste did so themselves, although a small proportion reported that their waste was collected for composting (Table 4.11).

Reported composting rates were higher among those aged 45 and over and also more prevalent among those with higher educational qualifications. Owner occupiers were more likely than renters to compost their waste and there was a strong gradient across the urban to rural spectrum - from 13% of those in large urban areas composting always or sometimes through to 43% of those in remote rural areas doing so. Interestingly, social renters were far more likely than those in other groups to have their waste collected for composting - 40% of social renters who composted their waste had it collected compared with 12% of all those who composted their waste. Unsurprisingly, those with gardens were more likely to compost their waste themselves, than those without. This is likely to explain at least part of the variation between rural and urban respondents identified above.

[Tables 4.11 to 4.13]

Asked whether they would compost their kitchen or garden waste if they were offered a weekly doorstep collection service, just over a quarter of respondents said they would always do so but a further quarter said they never would. One in ten did not know. Those most likely to say they would compost their waste given a door-step collection service were those aged 45-64, people with degrees or professional qualifications, owner occupiers and those with a garden.

Reasons that would prevent people using a composting service for kitchen waste were worry that the waste might smell (33%), not having space to store different types of waste (28%), worry that the waste might be a health hazard (20%) and being too busy to separate waste (15%). One in ten respondents would not use such a service as they need the waste for their own purposes.

[Tables 4.14 to 4.16]

4.6 SUMMARY

• While over one in five people had home-collection of paper for recycling, only one in twenty had home collection of other materials.

• Just under one in three people said there was nowhere for them to recycle paper and just under one in five, said this for glass.

• Two in ten people said they recycled all their glass a further one in ten said they recycled most of their glass. The same proportions reported recycling all and most of their paper. One in ten recycled all their cans and just one in twenty recycled all their plastic.

• Over eight in ten respondents recycled no plastic, over seven in ten recycled no cans, six in ten recycled no paper and half recycled no glass.

• Key factors related to recycling materials were availability of recycling facilities, access to a car and respondents' highest educational qualifications (those with degrees or professional qualifications were more likely to say they recycled glass, paper and cans than those with lower or no educational qualifications).

• Three quarters of people or more said that they would recycle paper, glass, cans and plastic if they were collected from their doorstep.

• Half of those who had home collection of glass already, did not recycle glass and over one in five with home collection of paper did not recycle paper.

• Overall the biggest potential barrier to using a home-collection recycling service was seen to be the issue of space, with over a third of people saying that not having the space to store different types of waste might prevent them from using a doorstep collection service.

• One in five respondents said that some of their kitchen or garden waste was composted, with ALL such waste being composted by just over half of these respondents (12% of the whole sample).

• Just over a quarter of respondents said they would always compost their kitchen or garden waste if they were offered a weekly door-step collection service for it and a further quarter said they never would.

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