Consumers are less likely to recycle ‘lightweighted’ plastic bottles, according to a UGA study

New research from the University of Georgia finds that people are less likely to recycle plastic products that feel flimsy or cheap. In the past few decades, you might have noticed “lightweighting,” where manufacturers use less plastic in packaging. It was introduced as an environmentally friendly measure, but according to Sarah Whitley, consumers are 92% less likely to make sure a cheap-feeling plastic bottle ends up in the recycling bin. “And so for something that feels thick, you almost feel like, ‘Oh yeah, this is like a nice bottle,'” she said. “Or, like, even if I get cardboard, I’m like, ‘Oh, this was a nice cardboard’ or like a nice paper, ‘I should do something else with this.'” Whitley co-wrote the paper with lead author Lyndsay Loomer , who worked at a Texas-based beverage manufacturer when lightweight bottles first hit the market in the 2010s. Whitley said she’d like to see manufacturers take a hard look at their products and think about what consumers might do with it when it’s empty. This story comes to Rough Draft Atlanta through a reporting partnership with GPB News , a non-profit newsroom covering the state of Georgia.