Generational divide on recycling revealed

New research from Every Can Counts has uncovered how Britain’s generations are clashing over recycling habits – with younger couples emerging as the strictest enforcers and older households sticking to the rules in their own way. 

The findings, from a survey of 2,000 Brits, reveal that Gen Z (18-24s) are the most argumentative age group, with six in ten who row about recycling saying they do so at least once a week. By contrast, just one in ten Boomers (55-64s) who argue about recycling admit to such regular clashes – underlining how attitudes shift sharply with age. 

Among younger couples, the most common flashpoints are around recycling “correctness”. Six in ten Gen Z households say rows are caused by containers not being washed properly before going in the bin, while four in ten report falling out over greasy pizza boxes. Dirty pots and plastics also spark disputes in two in five Gen Z homes – almost double the rate among Gen X (35-44s). 

Millennials (25-34s), meanwhile, are more likely to row over the chore of recycling than the rules themselves. Three in ten in this group admit to arguments about whose turn it is to take out the recycling, compared with just 4% of Boomers. Millennials are also the generation most likely to bicker over whether less obvious items such as greeting cards or clothes hangers should go in the recycling, with around 15% citing these disputes.  

At the other end of the age spectrum, Boomers (55-64s) are the strictest about the basics of recycling. Nearly half of households in this age group admit to arguments about items going in the wrong bin – the highest rate of any generation. They are also significantly more likely than younger people to insist on cardboard being folded properly before it’s disposed of, or on lids being removed from bottles.  

Gen X (45-54s) have their own unique points of tension, with more disagreements about broken glass than any other group. 

 While the divides are clear, recycling rows are widespread across the board. Nearly three-quarters of UK households now have a recycling system in place and almost eight in ten Brits say they feel clued up on local rules. Yet tensions remain: more than a quarter of people who row about recycling believe their partner makes mistakes on purpose to annoy them, while others put it down to laziness or stubbornness.  

Chris Latham-Warde, programme manager for Every Can Counts, said: “What’s clear from these results is that recycling sparks very different reactions across the generations. For some, it’s about doing things properly and following the rules, while for others the disputes come from the job of recycling itself. What’s encouraging is that people care enough about recycling for it to cause debate in the first place – that passion is what will help us achieve a 100% recycling rate for drink cans.” 

Aluminium cans are infinitely recyclable and can be back on the shelf as a brand-new can in just 60 days. Every Can Counts is encouraging households across the UK to put generational differences aside this Recycle Week (22 September) and make sure every can counts. 

Every Can Counts is a unique partnership formed between drink can manufacturers and the wider recycling industry, all with the goal of reaching a 100% recycling rate for drink cans. 

To find out more about Every Can Counts, visit: www.everycancounts.co.uk.