Hattie Ellis
Research released today by leading environmental charity City to Sea reveals overwhelming public support for decisive action on plastic pollution, with 72 per cent of UK consumers wanting to see more reusable, refillable and returnable options where they shop.
The survey of 2,004 UK adults also shows that nearly half (46%) of the British public want to see a charge introduced on single-use packaging, similar to the successful carrier bag levy introduced in 2015.
Three plastic items have come out on top to face a nationwide ban with a total of 42 per cent of people calling for plastic-wrapped fruit and veg, plastic water bottles and all single-use plastic bags to be shelved for good.
The research comes just weeks after the Global Reuse Summit, organised by City to Sea, where over 950 policymakers, retailers, businesses and packaging specialists called on the government to support reusable packaging systems through robust policy frameworks.
Consumers are continuing to try and make their habits count, with 58 per cent of respondents stating they have endeavoured to cut back on single-use packaging in the last 12 months.
Despite this strong public support for sustainable alternatives, systemic barriers remain. A quarter (25 per cent) of respondents report a lack of available options, while 20 per cent cite a lack of reusable and refillable options for their preferred brands.
Furthermore, over half (52 per cent) report they’re confused with the language used to describe sustainable initiatives, indicating the lack of education from industry and government is another hinderance to adoption, with more clarity needed.
Only 36 per cent felt comfortable asking for a reusable bottle to be refilled in a café, restaurant or pub when they haven’t made a purchase, suggesting businesses need to make these services more welcoming and explicit.
Everyday habits such as using reusable shopping bags (68 percent) and water bottles (58 per cent) have become ingrained in consumer habits.
Yet the research shows consumers are wanting even more reusable options from their grocery shop, indicating that public opinion is approaching a tipping point toward a full reuse economy.
The survey revealed several opportunities for retailers and brands, with 76 per cent reporting they’d be likely to use refill or reusable packaging for food cupboard items such as pasta, rice, cereals and coffee.
Furthermore, 69 per cent stated they would use refillable options for drinks including juice and spirits.
Jane Martin, CEO of City to Sea said, “Following decisive action against wet wipes and single-use plastic cutlery and plates over the last two years, these last 10 months have felt slow on plastic action.’
“With EPR finally ironed out and a DRS on the way, the government has a clear opportunity to not just ban some of the most polluting single-use plastic items but incentivise reusable packaging to help consumers make the sustainable switches they desperately want to do. Each year our research shows the public are crying out for change when it comes to our single-use plastic culture but aren’t clear on how they can really help. It’s time for an industry-wide and government-supported reuse revolution to close the chapter for good on single-use and move to a sustainable future.”
More shoppers (35 per cent) would choose a supermarket that offers discounts or incentives for bringing their own containers, compared to 28 per cent who would prefer loose and plastic-free fruit and vegetables.
Importantly, as 61 per cent of people polled believe recycling alone isn’t enough to tackle plastic pollution, reuse and refill systems stand as a popular and proven way for consumers to avoid single-use packaging altogether.
City to Sea has been collaborating with industry and retailers to make reuse and refill more accessible through national and city-wide schemes and to drive behavioural change.
This includes launching and running the Refill App since 2015 which connects people to reusable, refillable returnable options and is estimated to save 100 million single-use plastic bottles each year.
The charity is calling for legally binding and ambitious targets for reusable packaging and collaboration across retailers to see a shift in the packaging sector away from single use.
The full report can be viewed online here: https://www.citytosea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Attitudes-and-Behaviours-Towards-Reuse-in-the-UK-2025.pdf