Green Britannia

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

  • Eight out of ten Brits now actively environmentally friendly

  • Over half recycle every day

  • But one in five of are still doing nothing to help the planet

New research has shown that the eco message seems to have finally hit home with the majority of the nation.

Eight out of ten Brits are now taking active, conscious steps to be more environmentally friendly. So, at least, they claim in the replies to a survey.

But the study – which polled 3,000 Brits via an online survey carried out by Onepoll in April 2010 – commissioned by cleaning giants Vileda, also revealed that one in five fail to do anything to help preserve the planet.

As the number of local authorities providing separate recycling bins to homes increases, it’s encouraging to see 56% of the nation making use of the new facility and now recycling on a daily basis too.

More than half of us (57%) are now regularly using eco-friendly products and almost a quarter of us are recycling on a monthly basis.

We are now far more likely to insist on buying products from companies that also display the very best eco-friendly credentials, but the study has shown but 72% of those polled believe that manufacturers aren’t doing enough to be ‘green’.

The research has been commissioned by Vileda in the run up to launching its Naturals range of cleaning products – all made from renewable resources.

Vileda spokesperson Lindsey Taylor said: “The majority of us are now taking our individual environmental contribution very seriously indeed. Not only that, but we have shown that Britain won’t blindly buy products any more – we routinely check the environmental credentials of what we purchase.

“It is worrying that a fifth of us, knowing the potentially damaging effects our behavior can have on the environment, still admit to making absolutely no contribution to the national effort to be eco-friendly.”

The concern that many will have with this is the fact that is was carried out by a – basically – chemical company and as to the green credentials of the Vileda Naturals range.

Having requested samples of products of that range when the launch of them was announced and never, in fact, received as much as a reply, my concerns really run deep as to whether the green credentials are real or whether, as in so many cases, it is but greenwash.

© 2010