Circular Reality Scan

People and organisations attach great importance to recycling. Yet only a minority act consistently, and purchasing decisions often undermine good intentions.

Recycling is deeply rooted in public awareness. Both households and companies say they take responsibility. But when intentions are compared with real behaviour, a structural gap emerges.

What the data shows:

• Belgium – recycling matters in principle:
  - Consumers: 95% consider correct sorting important to very important.
  - Companies: 92% say recycling is important.


• Consistency lags behind:
  - Consumers: only 25% say they always sort correctly.
  - Companies: only 14% say they always do.
  - The gap lies not in intention, but in consistent behaviour.


• Purchasing widens the gap:
  - Consumers: only 15% almost always check for recycled content.
  - Companies: 72% find it important, but only 42% strongly consider it when purchasing.
    Sustainable intentions rarely translate into purchasing decisions.


• Knowledge and trust remain fragile:
  - 86% of consumers do not know how much waste is actually recycled.
  - 50% of companies have never heard of reporting requirements on CO₂, materials or circularity.
  - 19% of consumers almost never trust recycling labels.
  - Only 14% of companies fully trust recycling claims from suppliers.

In short: Belgium shows a broad recycling paradox: strong belief, weak consistency.

• Netherlands – recycling is widely supported:
  - Consumers: 90% find correct sorting (very) important.
  - Companies: 80% say recycling is important.


• Consistency remains low:
  - Consumers: only 15% always sort correctly.
  - Companies: only 17% do.


• Sustainable intentions rarely guide purchasing:
  - Consumers: just 10% almost always check for recycled materials.
  - Companies: 35% strongly consider recycled content; only 31% have a formal circular procurement policy.


• Limited knowledge undermines action:
  - 86% of consumers do not know how much waste is actually recycled.
  - 26% of companies have never heard of CSRD obligations.


• Trust gap:
  - 1 in 5 consumers almost never trust recycling claims.

In short: the Dutch recycling paradox is structural: belief clearly outpaces behaviour.

Gen Z is often seen as environmentally conscious, but the data shows less consistent behaviour in practice.

What the data shows:

• Belgium – recycled materials matter less to younger consumers:
  - 18–24 years: 75% consider it important.
  - 55–70 years: 88%.


• Sorting behaviour is weaker:
  - Only 10% of young people always sort correctly.
  - 37% among 55–70 year-olds.
  - 26% of young people rarely or never go to the recycling park.


• Netherlands – older consumers attach more importance to recycling:
  - 55–70 years: 51% say it is very important.
  - 18–24 years: 29%.


• Recycled materials matter less to young adults:
  - 18–24 years: 59%.
  - 55–70 years: 74%.


• Less consistent sorting:
  - 13% of young people always sort correctly.
  - 23% among older consumers.

Conclusion: younger generations are motivated, but lack routines, knowledge and context to act consistently.

Smaller companies want to move forward, but often lack capacity, data and mandate. Larger companies benefit from regulation and reporting obligations.

What the data shows:

• Belgium – no clear ownership:
  - 71% of companies have no sustainability responsible.
  - SMEs (10–49 employees): 74%.


• Limited monitoring of environmental impact:
  - 10–49 employees: 28% collect substantial environmental data.
  - 50–250 employees: 32%.
  - 250+ employees: 52%.


• Main barriers:
  - “We already do the maximum”: 19%
  - Extra costs / no budget: 18%
  - Lack of time: 10%

Conclusion: without resources, data and mandate, circularity remains difficult to operationalise.

• Netherlands – lack of ownership:
  - 64% of companies have no one responsible for sustainability.
  - SMEs: 68%.


• Environmental data collection remains limited:
  - SMEs: 26% collect substantial data.
  - Large companies: 60%.


• Key barriers:
  - Extra costs / no budget
  - Perceived lack of added value
  - Logistical constraints

Conclusion: SMEs are willing, but structurally under-equipped.

Circular behaviour shifts from intention to action when frameworks are clear, mandatory and enforceable.

Belgium

• Companies sort waste because it is mandatory:
  - 97% of companies sort waste


• Consumers support policy measures that steer behaviour:
  - 76% of consumers support deposit systems on packaging


• Large companies structurally outperform SMEs:
  - Driven by regulation, they more often have sustainability leads, CO₂ monitoring and formal procurement criteria.

Insight: Belgium makes progress where policy is clear and enforceable.

Netherlands

• Companies sort waste:
  - 92% of companies sort waste


• Consumers support policy measures that steer behaviour:
  - 62% of consumers support (expanded) deposit systems


• Large companies move ahead in governance and monitoring:
  - Reporting obligations push large companies ahead in governance and monitoring.

Insight: Regulation accelerates circular behaviour for both companies and consumers.

Lack of insight directly affects behaviour, trust and purchasing decisions.

Belgium

• Consumers lack insight into recycling outcomes:
  - 86% of consumers do not know how much waste is actually recycled.
  - 61% believe much of it ends up abroad in landfills.


• Companies miss essential knowledge on circularity and CSRD:
  - 50% of companies have never heard of CSRD.
  - 70% measure impact not at all or only to a limited extent.


• Trust in labels is low:
  - Low confidence among both consumers and businesses.

Netherlands

• Consumers lack insight into real recycling rates:
  - 86% of consumers lack insight into actual recycling rates.
  - 53% believe waste mainly ends up abroad.


• Companies miss knowledge on circularity and CSRD:
  - 26% of companies have never heard of CSRD.
  - 68% collect impact data only minimally.


• Trust issues hinder conscious purchasing:
  - Low trust slows down sustainable behaviour.

Conclusion: Without transparent, accessible information, circular choices remain abstract.

Although expectations are high, trust in recycling labels and green claims is limited.

Proofpoints

• In Belgium, only 34% of consumers say they almost always trust recycling labels.
• In the Netherlands, 76% of consumers say they trust such labels only sometimes or never.
• 90% of Belgian consumers and 89% of Dutch consumers believe many companies present themselves as greener than they really are.
• Companies recognise this concern too: 77% of companies in Belgium and 87% of companies in the Netherlands agree that many businesses make themselves appear greener than they actually are.

Consumers in Belgium and the Netherlands clearly expect companies to take more action on recycled materials.

Proofpoints

• In Belgium, 90% of consumers say companies should invest more in the use of recycled materials.
• In the Netherlands, this figure is 86%.
• In both countries, 90% of consumers say companies should clearly indicate when they use recycled materials.

The Circular Reality Scan shows that recycling claims and additional information do not necessarily change buying behaviour.

Proofpoints

• In a product test, consumers were shown two identical shampoo bottles with the same brand, size and price.
• The only difference was that one bottle carried the claim "100% recycled bottle". This claim had no positive effect on purchase intention
• QR codes may provide more detailed information, but expected use is limited.
• In Belgium, 51% of consumers say it is important that additional information is available via a QR code.
• In the Netherlands, this is 42%.
• In both countries, only around three in ten consumers say they would probably scan such a code.