← Back to Info Hub

Survey: Americans Prefer Sustainable Companies

New survey data from The Recycling Partnership and SWNS confirms that a significant majority of Americans increasingly prefer sustainable products and brands and are willing to pay more for these choices. Those surveyed want to do more to address waste and climate impacts and are looking to companies to support them in doing so.

Respondents indicated they would be willing to pay on average 26% more – and up to 44% more – for sustainable products. Eighty-five percent of the 2,000 surveyed strongly believe in recycling and nearly 80% expect every product companies produce to be 100% recyclable in ten years.

Public support for recycling, sustainability, and the power of purchasing is central to encouraging businesses to do more to increase access to sustainable packaging options and for supporting community recycling programs. This is especially timely as we all navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Directly tied to access to sustainable goods is access to recycling services and facilities. Not surprisingly, most recycling these past few months has been generated at home. Now is a great time to check what’s recycled in your community and make sure you are recycling (check your community’s recycling website). For those who want to direct their dollars to more sustainable options, each time we pick up or click on a product for purchase, we can ask ourselves these questions: 1) Is this product reusable, recyclable, or compostable in my community? 2) Is this product made from recycled content? 3) Do I know how to make sure this product is recycled or composted?

DYK? Recycling supports 757,000 American jobs annually. The Recycling Partnership is working with companies and communities to expand and enhance recycling infrastructure and programs. Effective programs will allow more value to be captured from recyclable materials, increase the availability for recycled content for packaging, support jobs, and reduce climate impacts. To learn more about recycling’s impact and how The Recycling Partnership is catalyzing a circular economy, read our 2020 impact report.