Did you know 9/10 Irish people are attracted to a person that recycles

Swipe right for recycling! Repak calls on the nation to fall in love with recycling this Valentine’s Day

• 92% of people think littering is an unattractive trait in a date
• Nine out of ten (88%) are attracted to a person that recycles
• Almost two thirds of Irish residents (59%) admit that they would be turned off by a littering love interest
• Refusing to recycle has been cited as a relationship ‘deal breaker’ for half (46%) of respondents
• Two thirds (62%) admitted to teaching their other half how to recycle

Wednesday 14th February 2018: New research* by Repak has revealed that for 88% of Irish residents, recycling is the key to romance this Valentine’s Day; with nine in ten people admitting to finding recycling attractive in a partner or potential love interest.

Over 500 people were questioned for the Repak study, which found that 92% think littering is an unattractive trait in a date, while four out of five people (80%) said that seeing a potential love interest litter would affect their opinion of them. Almost two thirds (60%) said it would turn them off the person completely.

Half of respondents (46%) admitted that refusing to recycle would be a deal breaker in a relationship but for those that make it past the dating minefield, recycling in a relationship is all about sharing the load. 71% of respondents admit to splitting the responsibility to recycle evenly with their other half, and two thirds (63%) said they have taught their other half to recycle. For those that haven’t done so previously, 83% say it’s something they’d consider in future relationships.  

According to Laura Sherry, Marketing and Communications Manager, Repak: “We commissioned this research to better understand how recycling can impact our relationships and how we choose partners. It’s evident from our study that how someone chooses to manage their waste can have a big impact on how we view them romantically.

“According to our research, almost half of Irish people expect to receive a gift on Valentine’s Day, with flowers and a card among the most popular choices. When we consider the amount of waste generated by these two gifts alone, it’s important to remember that paper, cardboard and plastic materials can all go in your recycling bin, once they have all been rinsed and dried.”

Repak is urging consumers to visit www.repak.ie and find out how they can actively consider the impact that their recycling behaviour will have on the environment, this Valentine’s Day and beyond.

Repak, this year, celebrates 21 years of packaging recycling success in Ireland. The contribution made to Ireland’s packaging waste industry over two decades by Repak members has been astounding:

Thanks to Repak members, over 10 million tonnes of packaging recycling has been diverted from landfill since 1997;

• From 126 landfills in operation in Ireland in 1997 to 4 in 2017
• Ireland now ranks the 7th highest country in the EU for recycling and recovery, currently achieving 91% recycling and recovery of all packaging waste
• Repak will be placing 100 new bottle banks around the country in 2018 in partnership with its members
• In two decades, over €400m has been invested through Repak by its members to fund the recycling and recovery of packaging waste.
• Repak members funded the collection of waste bottles and cans from the 1,848 bottle banks sites in the country