Report shows UK's most 'wishcycled' items, as calls for retailers to do more grow

LONDON - June 27, 2023 - PRLog -- Every month, thousands of people all over the UK try to avoid 'wishcycling' - but wind up doing it anyway. With instances of recycling contamination on the rise, and some parts of the country making it harder than others to recycle different goods and packaging, specialist used cardboard box suppliers Sadlers are taking a look at the items that cause the most confusion - and at helping people to recycle from home.

• 84% of households contaminate their recycling due to wishcycling - the act of recycling something even when we're not entirely sure what can or should be recycled
• Polystyrene is the most confusing item, with 3,620 monthly searches around whether it can be recycled

"Wishcycling, despite our good intentions, can actually cause more harm than good." says Lauren Sadler,  Head of Sustainability & Communications at Sadlers."We risk contaminating the entire batch when we toss items into the recycling bin without knowing if they're truly recyclable. Contamination leads to problems at recycling facilities and even results in perfectly recyclable items ending up in landfills."

https://sadlers.co.uk has pulled together some of the common causes of uncertainty, noting the number of people in the UK searching online each month to get answers to queries including 'can I recycle' and 'can you recycle':

1. Polystyrene - 3620
2. Bubble wrap - 1370
3. Blister packs - 1130
4. Shredded paper - 790
5. Clothes - 600

CDs, CD cases, books and pizza boxes also appear in the top 10. https://sadlers.co.uk/blogs/blog/recycling-and-wishcyclin...

Given the vastly differing recycling policies and strategies across the UK, it is no wonder that consumers are struggling to work out what exactly they can recycle in their local area. Take the case of thin black plastic. Optical scanners often mistake black plastic for the black conveyor belt, leading to its rejection. Currently, only Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire recycle this specific type of plastic effectively, with the rest of the UK counties lacking the necessary infrastructure.

"It's essential to understand what wishcycling means and why we should try to avoid it." says Lauren, "You can play your part in reducing waste and preserving our environment by learning more about recycling guidelines specific to your area and making informed decisions about what you place in the recycling bin."

ENDS

About Sadlers: Sadlers are specialist suppliers of once used cardboard boxes delivering low cost, environmentally friendly packaging solutions. In addition, they initiate cardboard box reuse schemes with volume producers of cardboard waste.