Just in time for National Recycling Week, the latest findings from Roy Morgan Research show that recycling has become almost second nature for the vast majority of Australians since the turn of the century, with more than 90% of us recycling everything we can. Even so, the proportion of Aussies who self-identify as environmentalists has declined over the same period, while increasing numbers of us believe that ‘environmentally friendly products are overpriced.’
Fifteen years ago, the proportion of Australians who agreed that ‘I try to recycle everything I can’ was already quite high, at 81.3% of the population. As of September this year, this figure now sits at 91.1%—or nearly 18 million people—with women just a little more likely than men to agree with the statement (91.8% vs 90.4%).
Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan Research, says, “The fact that more than nine in 10 Australians try to recycle everything they can is excellent news from an environmental perspective. Initiatives like Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week are instrumental in raising awareness, and the provision of dedicated recycling bins by local councils, employers, educational institutions and elsewhere makes it easy for people to put what they’ve learnt into practice.
“But despite Australians’ widespread adoption of a green approach to rubbish disposal, Roy Morgan data shows that this is not translating into increased environmental concern. The proportion of us who say we’re environmentalists at heart has declined since 2001, with the most striking drop (from 73.2% to 61.6%) occurring among 35-49 year-olds. What’s more, less than half of 14-17 year-olds now consider themselves environmentalists.”
The 65-plus bracket has led the country for many years in this respect, with 89.2% recycling everything they could even back in 2001.
Despite recycling being adopted by such a high proportion of the population over the last 15 years, new Roy Morgan data reveals what appears to be a backlash against certain other environmental issues.
26.1% of the population now believes that ‘Threats to the environment are exaggerated,’ up from 22.2% in 2001, with men once again more likely to feel this way than women. Tellingly, this sentiment spiked among both genders in 2012 — right around the time the carbon tax was introduced.
The sense that environmentally friendly products are over-priced is also becoming more widespread: well over two-thirds of Australians think they’re too expensive.
“These results suggest that environmental organisations may need to ramp up their efforts to understand the values and attitudes underpinning Australians’ views on these related but different issues”.
A full copy of the report can be found at: www.roymorgan.com
