Dive Brief:

• A Harris Poll indicates that although younger generations are more knowledgeable about environmental issues than older generations, millennials are generally indifferent towards recycling.
• A survey conducted in November on behalf of ISRI discovered that adults aged 18-34 are “significantly” less likely to always recycle. 
• According to the online study, 33% of young Americans say they “always” recycle, compared to 48% of those age 35 and older.

Dive Insight:

The poll came up with some interesting numbers, finding that 36% of those in the 18-34 age group were not inclined to say that recycling is critical to reducing energy consumption, compared to 46% of older participants aged 55-64. Furthermore, 45% of millennials did not agree that recycling would help reduce landfill space, while 60% of the older group agreed with that statement. 

The survey found that Americans would like more recycling options. 90% believe recycling centers should be easy to access. A majority, 68%, think that manufacturers and retailers should pay for recycling programs, while 62% also think the government should be responsible for the cost of certain recycling programs.