Bar chart showing what survey participants thought was. themost sustainable way to dispose of common items and their confidence in those choices, which often were incorrect
Consumers don't know how to dispose of some common objects sustainably
In a survey that asked participants to sort common consumer goods into virtual recycling, compost and trash bins and then say how confident they were in their choices, many people placed common recycling contaminants, including plastic bags, disposable coffee cups and light bulbs, erroneously – and often confidently – in virtual recycling bins. For some materials, the answer varies depending on the capacities of local waste management systems.
