Written by: Piia Lundberg
Photo: Ceten23 CC BY-SA 4.0.
In May 2022, we studied the experiences of consumers living in Finland about the circular consumption and waste avoidance. We also asked what kind of waste tends to accumulate in their households most and if some waste was annoying to them (and if so, what were the reasons). The survey data represents the Finnish adult population in terms of age, gender, level of education and place of residence. Based on the survey responses, the three largest single types of waste were plastic, bio-waste as well as cardboard and paper. The same three waste categories were perceived as the most annoying ones, too. The most important reason for annoyance was related to too much waste being generated.The next thing that annoyed the respondents the most was food waste (or wastefulness in general). Waste also needs a lot of space at home, and some find recycling either difficult or doubt whether waste is actually recycled.About a third of the respondents did not find any type of waste annoying. Studying these questions is important for understanding how to facilitate and normalize circular consumption as a part of consumers’ everyday life.