Nearly half (46%) of Brits are taking part in daily activities that are harmful to the environment. While 29% of Brits are in denial when it comes to environmental issues, according to new research by Grundig.
The global home appliance brand conducted a survey on 2,000 UK adults about how British people feel about their impact on the environment. The study also found that, whilst the majority (59%) of respondents think about environmental issues on a weekly basis, they are prevented from giving up actions and activities that they know are detrimental to the planet due to a lack of better, more affordable alternatives.
In addition to this, Grundig’s research also highlighted a distinct lack of knowledge and awareness related to the causes of microfibre pollution – an issue the company has been keen to tackle.
Whilst 67% of respondents believed microplastics to be a significant issue for the environment, 49% of those surveyed did not know that the leading source of plastic pollution in the oceans comes from synthetic microfibres shed from clothing. Grundig’s survey showed that 7 out of 10 adults would stop eating certain foods if they could see the number of microfibres they were consuming. And overall, 75% of respondents agreed more needs to be done to raise awareness of the hidden dangers of microfibres in our waterways and how the issue can be combated.
Teresa Arbuckle, managing director of Beko plc and spokesperson for Grundig, commented: “It is important for us as a nation to understand the extent to which our daily activities are having an impact on our planet. Grundig’s brand purpose is to lead by example and inspire people to take small steps towards a better future. We believe that each individual can positively impact the planet by making small changes in their daily activities and we are proud to empower them to achieve more sustainable living.
“We are committed to leading the industry forward with the launch of Grundig washing machines with FiberCatcher technology, all with the world’s first integrated synthetic microfibre filtering system, helping minimise synthetic fibre pollution.”
To raise awareness of the impact of microfibre plastic pollution and to encourage people to take action, Grundig has partnered with UK charity, Marine Conversation Society.
Speaking about the partnership, Laura Foster, head of clean seas at the charity, said: “No matter where you live, our actions can and do impact the ocean’s health. Many people are really concerned about plastic getting into the ocean. However, many of us aren’t aware of the connection between our laundry, and microplastics entering the ocean.
“In fact, over 700,000 fibres are released every wash. With research suggesting that it can take up to 1,000 years for microplastics to break down, stopping microfibres from going down the drain in the first place makes all the difference in slowing the flow of plastic into our ocean. New technologies that capture microfibres before they reach the marine environment can contribute greatly to reducing the amount of marine pollution by stopping it at source.”
With over 40,000 employees globally, Grundig’s parent company Arçelik operates in 48 countries and 28 production facilities in 9 countries. It owns 12 brands including Arçelik, Beko, Grundig, Blomberg, Leisure, Flavel, ElektraBregenz, Arctic, Defy, Altus, Dawlance, and Voltas Beko.