Four out of five Brits are greener than they were 10 years ago, with three out of five believing they have a responsibility to live a sustainable lifestyle and that being environmentally conscious is a ‘badge of honour’ (58%), according to research revealed today. Trainline surveyed 2000 adults from across the UK and discovered that the UK is 29% greener than it was 10 years ago, with Brits making more sustainable choices than ever before. Indeed, the average Brit now carries out 369 eco-friendly acts per year – more than one per day - compared to 286 a year a decade ago.
The majority believe it is now socially unacceptable to not be environmentally friendly and half admit they would be embarrassed to be seen as living unsustainably, leading to billions more sustainable acts taking place across the UK each year. Three out of five Brits credit these improvements to having a better understanding on how to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle than ever before. A quarter (say that social media has motivated them to make a difference, while 27% claim campaign groups such as Extinction Rebellion have convinced them to change their habits.
55% of Brits are proud to ‘do their bit’ to help the planet and this has led to huge strides being made over the last decade. The majority (52%) of Brits recycle, compared to just 34% 10 years ago, and a third are eating less meat – compared to only 13% 10 years ago. In addition, half take reusable bags shopping, 30% avoid single-use plastics, and a quarter never use takeaway coffee cups.
