A new survey conducted by YouGov reveals a growing concern among the majority of Australians about plastic use and its environmental impact. Its release comes as the world recognises Earth Day on 22 April.

Earth Day 2024's theme, 'Planet vs. Plastics', aims to raise awareness of the detrimental effects of plastic pollution on both human and planetary health. YouGov's survey found 78% of Australians are worried about the use of plastic in the country. Over half of the population are actively reducing their daily plastic usage by carrying reusable shopping bags (71%), reusing takeaway containers for storage (53%), and carrying a reusable bottle or cup (51%).

The survey also exposed a gender divide in plastic reduction practices. Women are more likely than men to adopt habits that reduce plastic in their daily routines. For instance, over half of women avoid using plastic cutlery (53%), refuse plastic straws (53%), and reuse plastic bottles (51%). Less than 40% of men reported practicing each of these habits by comparison.

The survey also revealed Australians would support more bans on single-use plastic products, including coffee cups (61%), coffee machine capsules (57%), condiment sachets (57%), and plastic food wrappers (56%). A further 56% would support a ban on cotton buds made from plastic parts.

However, Australians were less inclined to support a ban for bubble wrap or cling film, with less than half the nation (48% and 44% respectively) backing such a move.

The challenge is enacting change. In 2022, the REDcycle program, which allowed consumers to return soft plastics to stores for recycling, was suspended following revelations that the initiative had failed to recycle the plastic and was instead storing the waste. This suspension had a moderate or significant impact on the confidence of 66% of Australians in the country's recycling efforts.

Despite this setback, a new Soft Plastics Recycling Trial will follow a similar return-to-store format as REDcycle. Encouragingly, 74% of Aussies said they would still be likely to use this method to dispose of soft plastics, with only 16% unlikely to participate and 9% unsure.

The YouGov survey was conducted online between 15 and 17 April 2024, with a national sample of 1,046 Australians.