The majority of Swedes want recycled materials in products

Moving from a linear to a circular economy requires recycling more materials and using them in the manufacture of new products. The new Kantar/Sifo survey shows that the Swedish people have a positive attitude towards recycled materials. 92 percent say they expect manufacturers to use more recycled materials in their products. At the same time, 57 percent state that they are prepared to pay extra for products made from recycled materials. The survey was carried out on behalf of the Circular Initiative, a collaborative forum for Swedish Industry, established last year.

“These are positive signals for us in the manufacturing industry. At Electrolux, circular thinking has long been a priority, but the findings also present several challenges. For example, there are relatively well-developed systems for collecting materials for recycling, currently, but the quality of secondary raw materials needs to be higher. At the same time, we are working to ensure that sustainable solutions do not lead to disadvantages for consumers – it should not cost more to do the right thing, quite the reverse. In order to achieve success with these issues, it is important to work well with other stakeholders, such as Stena Recycling, within the Circular Initiative”, says Henrik Sundström, Global Sustainability Manager at Electrolux.

The survey also shows that a majority of those asked believe manufacturing companies should be driving this change. 67 percent think that companies should take the lead in increasing the use of recycled materials. In comparison, only 24 percent believe that politicians should have the most important role.