An overwhelming number of British companies are failing to recycle efficiently, according to new research.

The survey of 1,055 British workers carried out by tradeskips.com found that 73 per cent did not recycle their waste materials in their place of work, compared to 22 per cent who did not at home.

While 65 per cent claimed they would make a conscious effort to recycle if their employer had an incentive, only 19 per cent said they did recycle at work, while eight per cent of workers did not know whether their company has a recycling system in place.

When quizzed on the waste management scheme at their place of work, 53 per cent said they believed their company does not recycle due to inadequate recycling facilities in the area, while 29 per cent believed it was down to cost.

Almost one in five (18 per cent) of those surveyed said they do not recycle in the workplace because it falls outside of their remit.

The data revealed those who work in financial services were the least likely to recycle at work (13 per cent), followed by those who work in IT and communications (14 per cent).

Mark Dunne, director and head of operations at tradeskips.com, said: "It's really quite shocking to see how few businesses have a recycling scheme in place.

"While it's encouraging that councils have brought in strict recycling regulations for households in the UK, this is not being reflected in the workplace as so many British workers do not recycle.

"There are often costs associated with recycling for businesses, but if employers feel passionate about the cause, they could take up with their HR department, or introduce a scheme whereby they share the responsibility among colleagues."

What do you think? Email mark@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk 

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