Young people lagging on recycling

YouGov say 37% of 18 to 44 year olds simply tip used cooking oil down the drain or sink, wasting a valuable resource which can now be turned into clean electricity.

Pouring oil down the sink often causes untold damage to both drains and watercourses.

Oild can be recycled in recycling tanks at provided at Magilla, Carr Hill, Warren Vale and Lidget Lane recycling centres, which collected more than 3,000 litres last year – enough to make 720,000 cups of tea or run 24,000 cycles of a washing machine.

“It’s shocking that after all the public information campaigns, householders’ favourite method of vegetable oil disposal is tipping it down the kitchen sink,” said Ian Collins of Living Fuels which operates a national network of collection tanks including those throughout Yorkshire and The Humber.

“It’s the older generations – those aged 45+ years - who are twice as likely as 18 to 44 year olds to make the trip to the tip with their waste oil in an old milk or cooking oil container (8% vs 4%). They’re the recycling stars because those tanks turn waste vegetable oil into electricity and heat.

“You’d have thought the younger age groups would be keener recyclers because they’re more likely to have been formally educated as to why it’s the right thing to do environmentally,” he said. “The research showed us there’s little difference in recycling used cooking oil between the genders.

“Regionally, 24% of the Yorkshire and Humber respondents say they pour used cooking oil down the drain or sink making the region 4th in the UK league behind the leader which is the East Midlands at 18%.

The North East and East of England are in joint second place with 23%. But only 5% of those questioned in the Yorks and Humber region say they dispose of their used cooking oil in a special tank at the local tip compared with 10% in the North East which tops the league.

“The YouGov poll found more Londoners pour used cooking oil down the drain or sink (33%) than anywhere else in the country. All of which bears out our experience too,” said Ian Collins. “On another point, the most likely to pour oil down the drain are students (45%) and those out at work (31%).”

To find the nearest civic amenity to recycle your cooking oil, visit www.living fuels.co.uk.