London Western Riverside Study: Phase 1 Presented by: John Leaman & Philip Downing, MORI 12th December 2002

Contents Overview of attitudes towards recycling Recycling behaviour - who, when and what? Attitudes towards local recycling services Responsibility for recycling Information and awareness - how informed and aware are residents? Social normalisation - is recycling considered a ‘normal’ activity? Household Psychology Communicating the recycling message

Methodology 2,023 interviews conducted with residents aged 16+, face- to-face and in-home between 09 Oct - 26 Nov 2002 Quotas and weighting (age, gender, work status and ethnicity) to ensure representative sample of residents 500 interviews in each borough interviews across the borough as a whole and a further 200 interviews in a designated ‘trial’ area. Unless stated otherwise, the results for the Western Riverside area as a whole and individual boroughs do not include the ‘trial’ areas - these are analysed separately

Utilising other waste & recycling research Public Attitudes Towards Recycling and Waste Management - MORI/Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, 2002 Household Waste Behaviour in London: Phase I and II - Resource Recovery Forum/Brook Lyndhurst/MORI, 2001/2 Recycling Used Packaging from the Domestic Waste Stream: Consumer Awareness and Education - INCPEN/MORI, 1999 Qualitative and quantitative studies by the MORI Local Government team for a range of local authorities, including some new approaches to research (e.g. photograph pre- tasking exercises, deliberative workshops)

1. An overview of attitudes to Recycling

Recycling is considered very worthwhile... Very worthwhile Don’t know/ no opinion 2% Not very worthwhile Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Fairly worthwhile Not at all worthwhile QOverall, how worthwhile or not do you think recycling household rubbish is?

…but it is not a high salience issue Concerned about disposal of society’s waste94% Important environmental issue? (prompted)34% But important environmental issue? (unprompted)7% “While the public considers the disposal of society’s waste a significant environmental concern, it is not an issue at the forefront of their minds. The transient nature in which it is considered appears insufficient to establish and maintain habitual patterns of recycling” From Public Attitudes Towards Recycling and Waste Management, Strategy Unit/MORI, 2002 Base: 2,005 residents aged 15+, Great Britain, face-to-face, in-home, May-June 1999

Recycling - positive views Saves resources/trees QWhat, if anything, would you say are positive things about recycling? (unprompted) Reduces pollution Good for the economy/cheaper Saves space in my home Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Helps protect the environment Reduces household rubbish being buried/landfill ‘Right thing to do’ For future generations/children Nothing

Recycling - negative views 15% Difficult/hassle/effort 7% Poor recycling services 5% More expensive 4% Takes up too much space in the home 48% Nothing QAnd what, if anything, would you say are negative things about recycling? (unprompted) Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI

2. Recycling Behaviour

Difficulties with behavioural questions Potential for people to ‘over-report’ their behaviour - particularly when it is about a socially desirable activity MORI National survey in as many as 67% said they recycle* Need to change the way we ask questions to control for this problem - this study has used a much more stringent classification for levels of recycling Results are much lower than previously and more realistic *Source: Recycling Used Packaging from the Domestic Waste Stream, INCPEN/MORI, ,005 adults 15+, face-to-face, in-home, May-June 1999

Levels of recycling A lot but not everything that can be recycled Everything that can be recycled 29 I do not recycle much 29 I do not recycle anything % 2001 (2) %2002 (1) QLooking at this card, which, if any, of the following statements comes closest to how much you recycle? Base: (1) 1,300 residents 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, Oct-Nov 2002, Waste Watch/MORI; (2) 1,009 residents 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London, July-Aug 2001, RRF/Brook Lyndhurst/MORI

Recycling typologies “High recyclers” -15% More than usually: –Female –aged –Social class ABC1 –Private dwellings –White British –Working –No children Receptive to recycling, composting and ‘green’ consumerism

Recycling typologies “Mid recyclers” - 42% More than usually: –Female –aged –Social class C1 –White British Recycle regularly but limited number of materials - do not compost and are not ‘green’ consumers Receptive to receiving more information

Recycling typologies “low/non-active recyclers” - 43% More than usually: –Male –aged –Social class DE –High rise flats –Social renters –Black/Black British –students/unemployed They are not receptive to receiving information on recycling

The more frequently recycled items... % most/some times% always% rarely/never Newspaper/paper Magazines/brochures Old clothes/shoes Glass jars Carrier bags Base: All who use each material, 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI QHow often, if at all, do you recycle the following everyday items? If you don’t use an item, please tell me Glass bottles Card/cardboard

… and the less frequent Base: All who use each material, 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Drink cans Food tins Garden organic rubbish Fruit juice/milk cartons Kitchen foil QHow often, if at all, do you recycle the following everyday items? If you don’t use an item, please tell me. Plastic bottles Kitchen organic rubbish % most/sometimes% always% rarely/never

Range of materials recycled Previous work in 2001 showed that recycling behaviour was almost entirely limited to paper and glass - even among ‘high’ recyclers. Only one in five households in London recycled anything else* This pattern is still evident in the Western Riverside overall BUT, signs that ‘high’ recyclers now seem to be expanding the range of materials they recycle - ‘pioneer’ group *Source: 1,009 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London, July-August 2001, RRF/Brook Lyndhurst/MORI

Recycling behaviour among ‘high’ recyclers % most/some times% always% rarely/never Newspaper/paper Glass bottles Base: 157 residents who recycle everything that can be recycled, 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside,October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI QHow often, if at all, do you recycle the following everyday items? If you don’t use an item, please tell me Food tins Card/cardboard Plastic bottles Kitchen organic rubbish Fruit juice/milk cartons

Change in recycling behaviour About the same More Don’t know Less Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI QWould you say that you recycle more, less or about the same amount as you did a year ago?

Reasons for increasing amount of recycling More awareness/hear more about it QWhy do you say you recycle more than a year ago? Been given bins/bags for recycling Influenced by family/friends Base: 222 residents aged 16+ who say they recycle more than they did a year ago, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002 More facilities available now Offered a better collection service Top 5 reasons

Reasons for decreasing amount of recycling Poor/less facilities available QWhy do you say you recycle less than a year ago? Only recently moved here/don’t know where facilities are Lack of time No information about what to do with it Not essential Base: 137 residents aged 16+ who say they recycle less than they did a year ago, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002 Top 5 reasons

% most/sometimes Green Consumerism Base: All who use each material, 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside,October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI % always% rarely/never Pass on unwanted furniture/ appliances Buy refills/concentrated products Pass on left over paint Compost at home Use washable nappies QHow often, if at all, do you do any of the following? If you don’t use an item, please tell me. Purchase ‘bags for life’ Use the mailing preference service Decline extra plastic bags

3. Attitudes towards Recycling Services

Satisfaction with Council recycling facilities % Satisfied QThinking about the recycling facilities your local council provides, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with....? Accessibility of recycling services The provision of recycling facilities overall % Dissatisfied The provision of recycling facilities at your local tip Net ±% Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI +10 The range of recyclables you are able to deposit

Satisfaction with Council recycling facilities % Satisfied QHow satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the provision of recycling facilities overall? Kensington & Chelsea Wandsworth % Dissatisfied Hammersmith & Fulham Net ±% Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI +10 Lambeth

Satisfaction with Council recycling facilities % Satisfied QHow satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the provision of recycling facilities overall? Kensington&Chelsea trial Wandsworth trial % Dissatisfied Hammersmith&Fulham trial Net ±% Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI +54 Lambeth trial

Problems with household collection service Base: 472 residents who have access to a kerbside collection service,16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002 Waste Watch/MORI One in three report one or more problems with their kerbside collection service. Main issues (unprompted) include: –Not collected/not collected regularly (10%) –range of materials collected (7%) –Specifics of the bins/bags - e.g. no lid, too small (7%) 64% do not report any problems

Problems with recycling banks Not emptied regularly QWhat problems, if any, have you had with local recycling banks? (unprompted) Not accessible Lack information on what can/can’t be recycled Other None of these Base: 577 residents who have access to a recycling bank,16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Don’t collect wide enough range of materials Not clean/maintained Don’t know where they are Don’t know

Attitudes towards council recycling % Agree % Disagree Net ±% 5021 The amount I recycle is limited by the kinds of things that the council accepts for recycling I don’t believe the council actually does recycle all of the items collected for recycling -14 QI’d like you to tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each statement. Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI

Recycling facilities gone bad

Recycling gone bad II

Qualitative evidence - link with ‘liveability’ “They look horrible and messy. When you look at them they are disgusting” Female, 25-40, Social class ABC1, Greenwich “I go back and nobody’s emptied it, and because they haven’t emptied it, it then gets vandalised” Female, 25-40, Social class ABC1, Greenwich “I’ve seen it put out there [collection service] and come back home and there’s paper all over” Male, 25-40, Social class ABC1, Greenwich “Instead of having gaudy colours, I think they could have variants of the same colour like a subtle green Male, 25-40, Social class ABC1, Greenwich Source: Public Attitudes Towards Recycling and Waste Management, Strategy Unit/MORI, 2002

4. Responsibility for Recycling

Who should be responsible? Local councils QWhich three or four of the following, if any, do you think should be responsible for increasing levels of recycling? Companies who make products and packaging Individuals/General public Schools Environmental groups Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI UK Government Supermarkets Businesses in general/your place of work EU Commission/Parliament Small shops

Responsibility for Waste (Continued)

5. Information and Awareness

Information available on recycling % Informed % Not informed Net ±% 5936 What the benefits of recycling are What materials can and cannot be recycled in your area What recycling services are provided in the local area What types of recycled products you can buy What happens to materials after they are collected Campaigns/promotions in the local area -56 QHow well informed would you say you are about each of the following? Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI

Information about what can and can’t be recycled White British Social class Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Ethnicity Black ABC1 C2DE Age

Information about what can and can’t be recycled Owner occupied Private-rented High + medium Boroughs H&F Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Social rented Level of recycling Lambeth K&C Wandsworth Tenure low

Information about recycling services locally White British Social class Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Ethnicity Black ABC1 C2DE Age

Information about recycling services locally Under 2 years Over 10 years High + medium Boroughs H&F Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Over 2-10 years Level of recycling Lambeth K&C Wandsworth Length of residency low

Awareness of what can be recycled % Can QTo the best of your knowledge, which of the following things can and cannot be recycled in this area? % Can’t Net ±% Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch Newspapers and magazines Glass bottles and jars Food and drink cans Card/cardboard Old clothes/shoes Plastic bottles Fruit juice/milk cartons Garden and kitchen organic rubbish

Problems with information about composting “I have only heard stories about composting but what I have heard is in the summer it really reeks and is covered in flies” Female, 25-40, Social class C1C2, Greenwich “People don’t know how to go about composting. I have no idea, you just put it in a bin and then what?” Female, 25-40, Social class C1C2, Greenwich “I was going to ask somebody if they knew what that little brown one was for because I don’t know” Male, 30-45, Social class C1C2, Daventry Source: Public Attitudes Towards Recycling and Waste Management, Strategy Unit/MORI, 2002

Information required by residents % Agree QI’d like you to tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each statement. I need to know more about the benefits of recycling % Disagree Net ±% Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI I need more information on what can and can’t be recycled I don’t know what recycling facilities are on offer in the area

6. The impact of social normalisation or “Peer Pressure”

Demand for collective action “Why should I bother, nobody else does” Male, 35-50, Social class C2DE, Pendle “everybody’s got to do a little bit for it make a big difference” Male, 25-40, Social class ABC1, Greenwich “What could motivate me to do more is to see that as a nation as a whole we are doing it” Male, 25-40, Social class ABC1, Greenwich Source: Public Attitudes Towards Recycling and Waste Management, Strategy Unit/MORI, 2002

Do people think others around them recycle? QWhat proportion of households in this area do you think recycle or compost? Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI 11% 26% Nobody (0%) One in ten (10%) 17% 14% 9% 7% 3% 2% 1% *% Two in ten (20%) Four in ten (40%) Six in ten (60%) Eight in ten (80%) Three in ten (30% Five in ten (half) Seven in ten (70%) Nine in ten (90%) Everyone (100%) Mean 25%

QTo what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement “I would recycle more if everyone else was doing it”? Potential for social norms Neither/nor Strongly agree Don’t know Tend to disagree Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/ MORI Tend to agree Strongly disagree

Impact of social norms on recycling Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI High recyclers Medium recyclers Low recyclers % two-four in ten% none/one in ten% five+ in ten

Social normalisation More pressure among certain socio-demographic groups: –Owner occupier householders –Social classes ABC1s –White British –Age groups 45+ But less social pressure for others... –Social rented –Private rented –Young people –Black residents...And it is these groups where the potential for ‘peer pressure’ is greatest

7. Household Psychology and the impact on recycling

Barriers to recycling in the home % Agree % Disagree Net ±% 6025 I would need to be provided with a container to store recyclable materials in my home There is not enough space in my home to store recyclables Separating rubbish isn’t clean and causes smells/clutter in the house -10 QI’d like you to tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each statement. Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI

Untidiness and mess Households more concerned about untidiness (“mess”) than waste (“rubbish”) “Like you say you are not going to have it stacked up in your kitchen are you” Female, 35-50, social class C2DE, Pendle Particular problem for organic waste - only half of residents say they would be willing to recycle this, compared to c.90% who say they would be willing to recycle paper* *Source: Waste Management in Leicestershire, 1,971 residents, postal survey, MORI, 2002

Time pressures 31% say recycling does not fit in with their daily routine “Well, by the time I’ve come in I’m too tired to do any housework and I get into bed and I wake up in the morning and there’s only Sunday, and then I don’t want to work” Male, under 30, Hammersmith “When I have a working week I’ll be in at 6pm. I’ll start cooking the dinner, we may sit down at 7pm and in between the baby is being bathed and in between that you are arguing with the children to get to bed and before you know it it is 9pm and you are in bed by 10pm” Female, ABC1, Merton Source: Household Waste Behaviour In London, Resources Recovery Forum / Brook Lyndhurst / MORI, 2001 Base: 1,300 residents, aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI

8. Communicating the recycling message

Principles of good communication Honesty Openness Invite dialogue No “corporate speak” Deliver what you promise AND feed this back As ‘local’ as possible ‘real-life’ and realistic Explain “what’s in it for me?” Collaborate

Awareness of campaign symbols QWhich of the following symbols, if any, do you recognise? Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI

Brand recognition QAnd what do you associate symbol B with? Base: 112 residents who say they recognise the Rethink Rubbish symbol, 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002 Reducing household rubbish/more recycling Don’t know Other

Sources of information Television QWhich of the following, if any, do you think would be the best way for you to get information about recycling? National newspapers Billboards Magazines Cinema Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Local newspapers Radio Internet/website None of these

Sources of information Leaflets through the door QWhich of the following, if any, do you think would be the best way to get information about how to recycle in the local area? Posters Telephone helpline Workshop/community events Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Local newspaper Leaflets in supermarkets/shops Someone visiting you at home None of these

Influences Council QWho would you say is likely to have the most impact on you to recycle more/reduce your household rubbish? Neighbours, family, friends UK Government Supermarkets Environmental groups Base: 1,300 residents aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home, London Western Riverside, October-November 2002, Waste Watch/MORI Top six mentioned TV/radio/newspapers

Questions?