Going green beats the blues

A recent poll has taken a look at the impact sustainable behaviour has on wellbeing with some amazing results that shows going green can beat the blues.

According to a new poll of 2,000 adults by industry body Beyond the Box, eco-friendly people who do something green more than 20 times a week, such as recycling, are twice as happy as those who only carry out one green task up to two times a week.

The research has shown that environmentally friendly behaviours can directly influence feelings of happiness with almost 64% reporting that they feel happy when they carry out a task that has a positive impact on the environment. A further 50% say that making sustainability a priority brings them joy.

Flattening old cardboard boxes for recycling was a positive action for 50% of those polled beating upcycling which saw 35% reap the benefits of the positive recycling action.

Andy Barnetson, Beyond the Box commented; “We all know the positive impact environmentally friendly behaviour can have on the planet so it’s great to see there is evidence that being ‘green’ can help boost our mood too.

“It’s brilliant to see that so many people enjoy doing their bit for the planet. And why shouldn’t they? Seemingly small actions like recycling cardboard packaging, really do make a difference, so we all deserve a pat on the back for our efforts.”

The study found that cardboard was considered the most eco-friendly type of packaging (77%) ahead of paper (65%) and glass (57%). Perhaps most important is that almost a quarter of consumers now actively seek out products that are packaging in ‘sustainable’ materials.

“We depend on cardboard more than you might think and it’s become an even more important packaging material while much of the UK has been staying at home,” said Andy. “Whether it’s books to keep us entertained, or restaurant meal kits, receiving a cardboard package in the post often feels like Christmas and Britons will have seen many of their home deliveries packaging in cardboard over the past 12 months. Cardboard is one of the most sustainable types of packaging and by recycling cardboard, the paper fibres used to create it can be used again and again.”

The study takes a look at the sustainability and recycling during the pandemic and the impact on wellbeing and the results can be seen in full by visiting https://cardboard.org.uk/news/brits-go-green/