WM reports space for consumer recycling behaviour improvements with recent survey

WM recently released its 2025 WM Recycling Report, which reveals a significant "say-do gap" between American's recycling intentions and their actual behaviours. The survey also highlighted that consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies with well-known product brands can influence purchasing decisions by prioritizing recyclability.

WM's survey on consumer recycling habits

Based on a national survey of more than 1,000 consumers and immersive behavioural research in various U.S. markets, the report highlights how positive emotions, everyday rituals, and competing priorities shape recycling while identifying opportunities to make recycling easier, more convenient, and more impactful. It also shows that consumers often favour companies with recycling commitments — such as those that use recycled content in products or businesses that make recycling available.

"The 2025 WM Recycling Report shows us that to truly close the gap between intention and action, recycling providers, consumer packaged goods companies, and municipalities need to meet people where they are and understand what influences them to recycle," said Tara Hemmer, chief sustainability officer, WM. "At WM, we are investing in technology, infrastructure and education to help turn good recycling intentions into real, lasting impact — all while working with companies to help them maintain their recycled content commitments and with municipalities to increase recycling access in communities."

The research, which comes ahead of America Recycles Day on November 15, found that Americans today are as committed to recycling as ever, but sometimes life can get in the way of making the effort to recycle. Many respondents also noted that corporate recycling commitments can influence purchasing habits — which is critical as companies purchasing recycled content for use in packaging is imperative to recycling success. 

Key findings of the report include: 

• A significant "say-do gap": More than 3 in 4 Americans report they currently recycle, and 7 in 10 say it is easy, but EPA data shows that based on the materials Americans use today, only 32 percent of materials are being recycled.
• Recyclable packaging, recycled content can drive demand: Nearly two thirds (63 percent) of Americans say they would be more likely to purchase products from companies that use recycled content in their products, with younger, higher-income consumers as the most likely to reward companies that do so. Additionally, more than 4 in 5 (81 percent) say they would be more likely to recycle if they knew the materials they recycled were ultimately used to create new products.
• Americans recognize corporate recycling commitments: More than 7 in 10 (77 percent) respondents say they notice when a business has recycling available and nearly half (48 percent) say that the impact of a company's sustainability goals is a strong factor in purchasing decisions.
• Recycling creates positive emotions: Americans are much more likely to link recycling with positive emotions such as satisfaction, optimism and accomplishment, making it a "feel-good" habit.
• Knowledge gaps weaken confidence, but interest in learning is high: While few claim to know what happens to their recycling after pick-up, nearly 3 in 4 people would be interested in learning more; a sentiment that holds true across all age groups.