Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Daily Mirror

Lifestyle

Sarah Lumley

Many Brits 'in denial' about what is harmful to the environment - like eating meat

Many Brits don’t believe washing your clothes, eating meat, or leaving appliances plugged in can be harmful to the environment.

A poll of 2,000 adults found almost a third (29%) admit they are “in denial” when it comes to environmental issues, and hope the problem will just go away on its own.

Just one in four (25%) consider online shopping to be bad for the planet, despite the carbon footprint of deliveries, while only 30% considered doing your laundry to have an environmental impact.

Boiling the kettle, enjoying a BBQ and leaving the tap running were also among the activities many don’t think are harmful to the environment.

It also emerged eight in ten adults still do things they know are bad for the planet, with 43% claiming the lack of a better alternative gives them no choice.

Others are unable to give up things to help the environment because alternatives are too expensive or they don’t want to miss out on certain experiences.

Nearly a quarter admit they do more laundry than needed - and don't always do a full load (Historic England/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Teresa Arbuckle, managing director of Beko plc, supplier of home appliance brand Grundig, which commissioned the study to raise awareness of its FiberCatcher technology, said: “It is important for us as a nation to understand the extent to which our daily activities are having an impact on our planet.

“Our purpose is to lead by example and inspire people to take small steps, starting from home, towards a better future.”

The study also found nearly one in four adults (23%) admit they do more washing than needed, while 29% don’t always do a full load.

Half of respondents (49%) didn’t realise the microfibres from their washing is one of the leading sources of plastic pollution - with the microfibres from synthetic clothes making their way into rivers and seas.

And 65% were unaware humans can go on to consume microplastics through their food and drink.

But two-thirds admitted they would stop eating certain items if they could see the pollution.

As a result, more than three-quarters (76%) think more needs to be done to raise awareness of the hidden dangers of microfibres in waterways.

And more than eight in ten (81%) admitted they would wash their clothes less often if they knew how much it was contributing to plastic pollution in the oceans.

But majority of Brits still do things they know are bad for planet, like eating meat - because they don't want to miss out (Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

But 31% of adults polled, via OnePoll, have a “what I don’t know won’t hurt me” attitude towards global warming and environmental pollution.

Nearly half (45%) also believe microfibre plastic pollution isn’t spoken about because many don’t understand it, while a further 29% think it’s too complex.

In a bid to raise further awareness of microfibre plastic pollution and encourage people to take action, Grundig has teamed up with the Marine Conservation Society, which works for a cleaner, better-protected ocean with its Stop Ocean Threads campaign.

Teresa Arbuckle added: “We believe each individual can positively impact the planet by making small changes in their daily activities, and we are proud to be helping consumers achieve a more sustainable living.

“We are committed to leading the industry forward with the launch of Grundig washing machines with FiberCatcher technology, with the world’s first integrated synthetic microfibre filtering system, helping minimise synthetic fibre pollution.”