Survey Results: Earth 911 Summarizes Glass Packaging Institute Results

Survey Finds 8 Out of 10 Households Recycle, by Amanda Wills

A survey commissioned by the Glass Packaging Institute revealed that almost 94 percent of Americans think “recycling is good for the environment.”

Out of the 750 households Newton Marketing Research surveyed, 81.1 percent said their household recycles waste products or reusable products.

According to Doyle Yoon, a professor at Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Oklahoma, there is a significant correlation between what people think about recycling and their actions.

More than 27 percent of those surveyed said paper was the most environmentally friendly packaging, while glass followed closely with 22.3 percent. And a whopping 69 percent of participants said they use their curbside program to recycle glass bottles or jars at home. GPI sponsored the survey as a part of its upcoming Recycle Glass Week.

According to GPI President Joseph Cattaneo, the report is a positive sign for residential recycling. “It is clear from the poll that Americans want to pitch in and recycle. We hope Recycle Glass Week will encourage consumers to recycle glass bottles and jars in their communities, along with other packaging materials,” Cattaneo tells Greener Package. “This will help reduce the amount of recyclable materials entering landfills and help create a ‘greener’ future.”

By generating awareness about the environmental benefits of glass container recycling, GPI members hope to help the industry reach a nationwide goal of 50 percent recycled content in the manufacturing of new glass bottles and jars by 2013.

The U.S. EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable, which goes well beyond what you toss in your recycling bin at home or at school.