Why do only 34% of people in Cornwall Recycle?

Recycling isn’t a new phenomenon, humans have been reusing things they make throughout history, repairing materials so they can have more use out of them, rather than replacing them with something new. It’s the exponential growth of single use, plastic items that have flooded the market since recovering from World War II, that has meant people are struggling not to over consume, leading to excessive plastic pollution in the environment.

1933 Polyethylene, the most commonly used plastic, was created by accident at a chemical plant in Northwich, England. Seeing its potential, polyethylene was initially used in secret by the British military during World War II.

The rapid growth of single use products made from plastic since its creation during the war, has meant the population is struggling to keep up. Training and education is required to ensure that the environment is protected, especially in coastal towns like Cornwall, where the recycling rate is surprisingly low.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs found that 34% of people in Cornwall recycle. This number could be drastically improved if staff were educated about environmental safety at the same time as their food hygiene training.

The manufacturers of plastic packaging products are still continuing to create and sell packaging that cannot be recycled and will be put in the recycling bin by people in good faith. Councils are trying to achieve Net Zero with “one hand tied behind their back" as manufacturers continue to produce plastic that cannot be disposed of sustainably, due to a lack of education.

It is estimated that 343 tonnes of household waste were rejected from being recycled after being placed in the wrong bin in the year to April 2022 (Cornish Times 2023 Sonja Tutty).

The majority of bar workers in Falmouth fall between the ages of 16-35. The older half of this generation weren’t taught how to recycle properly at school, this goes for offices and across all industries. As a result, dry mixed recycling isn’t treated correctly and often, recycling is contaminated. Mainly with food waste that isn’t rinsed out of containers, incorrect plastics and contaminated cardboard.

1997 – Sailor and researcher Charles Moore discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the largest of several gyres in the world’s oceans where immense amounts of plastic waste have accumulated. Threatening marine life, this collection of marine litter and plastic pollution showcases the long-lasting and harmful effects of single-use plastic products (UN Environmental Programme, 2021).

‘We are the problem, so we must also be the solution.’ (Marine Debris Programme, 2023).