A Scottish Environment LINK survey published today shows the public want a less wasteful economy with lighter demands on the planet (1,2). These findings come at a critical time, with Governments now considering how best to stimulate the economy as part of the recovery from coronavirus (3).
The survey showed that respondents would support moves by the Scottish Government that reduce our use of valuable raw materials. People also expressed frustration with the way that products are made and how it is often impracticable to get things repaired.
There was widespread support for businesses to become more responsible for the environmental impact of their products, with clear support for supermarkets to report on their own waste levels and waste in their supply chains.
The survey of 1,027 people in Scotland, conducted by Survation, found
The Covid-19 crisis has shed light on the vulnerability of our wasteful and unsustainable economy, often characterised by long and ‘just-in-time’ supply chains. Prior to the recent abrupt downturn in economic activity, our economy was eating its way through the world’s natural resources at a rate that was both environmentally unsustainable (4) and undesirable from an economic resilience point of view. Environmental experts say we need to re-programme our economy to extract less from the planet, reuse what we’ve already taken and reduce our waste.
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Posted On: 10/06/2020