Jargon-heavy language is preventing consumers from engaging with circular economy practices, according to a report commissioned by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK which identifies terminology as the single biggest barrier to progress towards a more resource-efficient economy.

The research, Bringing the Consumer into the Picture: Normalising the Circular Economy, which was conducted by consultancy WPI Economics, found that terms such as "circular economy" and "waste prevention" actively deter public engagement, despite many consumers already participating in repair, reuse and resale activities without associating them with environmental goals.

Focus groups revealed that even participants actively engaged in circular behaviours – repairing electronics, donating clothing, buying second-hand goods – did not connect these actions to the concept of a circular economy. The research found that technical terminology creates a disconnect between industry efforts and consumer understanding, hindering the scaling of individual actions.

"We have the policy, the industry innovation, and the desire for change. But we are speaking a language that only insiders understand," commented Dr Adam Read MBE, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK.

The findings come as England's household recycling rate stood at 44 per cent in 2023/24, still below pre-pandemic levels and substantially below the Government's dropped 50 per cent target for 2020.

Two consumer groups identified

The research categorised consumers into two distinct groups with different motivations for circular behaviours. The first group, characterised as proactive, are driven by ethical factors and broader environmental considerations. These consumers are optimistic and proactive, viewing repair and reuse as positive behaviours they want to embrace. They seek to actively contribute to improving current systems.

The second group adopts a pragmatic approach, prioritising convenience and financial incentives. These consumers demonstrate scepticism about their ability to drive systemic change and will only participate when actions align with their convenience and incur no additional costs.

Laura Osborne, Managing Director of WPI Economics, said: "We saw our focus groups fall cleanly into two distinct types of consumers – the 'Proactives' who already want to lessen their impact on the environment by repairing and reusing but need a bit more facilitation – and the 'Pragmatics' who will change behaviour only if it proves more convenient or cost-effective."

The research examined three sectors in detail – large electrical appliances, textiles and batteries – finding significant variation in consumer behaviour and motivations across different product categories. For textiles, the greatest differences emerged between the two consumer groups, with proactive consumers demonstrating openness to secondhand purchasing while pragmatic consumers engaged in such behaviour primarily for financial reasons.

Plateauing engagement highlighted

Experts interviewed for the research identified several challenges, including the difficulty of promoting recycling and waste prevention in a consumer-driven society where advertising for fast fashion and online retailers is prevalent.

The study found that public understanding of waste prevention differs significantly from how the concept is used within the industry. When asked about reducing waste, focus group participants discussed buying products with less packaging. However, Michelle Whitfield, Head of Communications and Behavioural Change at Greater Manchester Combined Authority, noted that within waste policy frameworks, waste prevention refers to not purchasing products in the first place – highlighting a fundamental disconnect in terminology.

This disconnect extends to terminology around recycling. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority's "In the Loop" campaign discovered that using technical language such as "circular economy" and "waste prevention" in educational videos caused viewers to disengage, with many stopping videos where they first encountered these terms. Retention improved when the campaign removed this terminology.

Research by Keep Britain Tidy found that 70 per cent of people in the UK view waste as rubbish that goes straight into the bin or discarded items that are still usable, rather than considering what is produced or consumed in the first place. According to the WPI Economics report, this understanding has remained unchanged since 2022.

Policy recommendations outlined

SUEZ says that the sector should embed a people-centric approach through several interventions, recommending simpler messaging and tailored communications to resonate with differently motivated groups, noting that saving money and lowering living costs proves more compelling than abstract concepts.

The report recommends several concrete measures to improve consumer engagement. These include using accessible language such as "share", "donate" and "mend" rather than technical terminology, and implementing product labelling similar to France's Repairability Index to indicate expected lifespan and repair potential. It also calls for using existing infrastructure, such as using empty delivery vehicles to collect items after product deliveries, and establishing drop-off points at supermarkets, libraries and charity shops for items including batteries and small electronics.

The research also advocates scaling successful models such as buy-back schemes and innovative platforms that promote convenient clothing and electronics reuse, which consumers are already adopting.

Dr Read added: "The debate is over as to why we need to move to a circular economy – we can't continue to consume the Earth's finite resources and then just discard them. But by confusing the message with unnecessarily complicated jargon, we are turning off the very people we need to change from consumers into conservers."

The report estimates that transitioning to a more circular economy in the UK could create 470,000 jobs and boost GDP by £25 billion by 2035, whilst reducing carbon emissions by 11 per cent. However, research by Deloitte and Circle Economy found that only 7.5 per cent of materials are currently circled back into the UK economy after use.