One in five Brits are living in rooms filled with cardboard boxes and other items that they refuse to throw away or recycle.
20% of Brits are self-confessed hoarders, with 41% admitting they cannot bear throwing things away, according to new research by cardboard campaign group Beyond the Box.
The poll of 1,500 adults revealed that the clutter is getting worse, with the average Brit receiving three online deliveries every week and over half admitting if they buy something new, they don’t immediately recycle the packaging and will leave it lying around the house.
The average British home contains at least seven empty cardboard boxes stashed and stowed everywhere, from the attic to the garden shed. And, with Black Friday just gone and Christmas just around the corner, households are expecting to receive an additional four deliveries per week –amounting to an eye-watering total of 42 cardboard boxes per house accumulating before Christmas Day.
Not just cardboard boxes, 19% of Britons confess to having cupboards, drawers and even whole rooms dedicated to storing old clutter and junk. So, it’s no surprise that more than a quarter think that Britain is a nation of secret hoarders.
Andy Barnetson, spokesperson for Beyond the Box, said: “It’s lovely to see that Brits are so sentimental and attached to items they accumulate at home over the years. However, I think we can all agree that there are certain things we don’t need to hang on to forever.
“From cardboard boxes and packaging to old electricals and clothes we don’t wear, these items can be recycled to make valuable space in the home for the things we actually want to keep.
“Cardboard can be disposed of easily as part of your normal kerb-side recycling collection and we’d encourage everyone to keep recycling their cardboard, as it’s in high demand thanks to an e-commerce and home delivery boom. The paper fibres in cardboard can be re-used up to seven times so by recycling, we can make sure the cycle keeps moving.”
This is a great reminder to keep recycling those cardboard boxes during the build up to Christmas, not only will it keep your house free of junk, but it helps the paper and packaging industry keep from stock levels dropping and our circular economy continue.
