Behavioural expert reveals what hidden personality traits can be found in your recycling habits

Speaking on behalf of LitterBins.co.uk, behavioural and body language expert Darren Stanton has revealed what hidden personality traits can be found by someone’s recycling habits - explaining that ‘meticulous’ recyclers show signs of ‘motivation’ and ‘ambition’, whereas ‘lazy’ recycling habits can show traits of ‘narcissism’.

Darren adds that people who are organised with their recycling, having separate bins for different recycled materials, are very ‘calm’, ‘supportive’ and ‘ambitious’ as they like to feel a ‘sense of accomplishment’.

As for people who throw recycling in a rubbish bin, despite there being a recycling bin available, it could show traits of ‘selfishness’ and ‘lack empathy’.

A spokesperson for LitterBins.co.uk added: "Recycling not only helps protect our environment but also reflects our commitment to sustainability and our personal values. It's interesting to see how our daily habits can reveal so much about who we are.

“Whether you’re a daily recycler or someone who rarely throws away rubbish, it’s important that we all make the conscious effort to use our recycling bins more and in turn adopt more eco-friendly practices.”

Speaking on behalf of LitterBins.co.uk, Darren Stanton reveals:

People who organise their recycling are ‘motivated’ and have ‘ambition’, as they feel the need to ‘contribute to the planet’

‘People who neatly organise their recycling mainly have motivated personality traits. There are two things that govern our motivation, pleasure and pain. Some people get pleasure out of recycling as they feel like they are contributing to the planet and are helping the environment. Similarly, people get pain out of seeing litter and waste in public, for example. These people that are fastidious with recycling tend to have traits of optimism, supportiveness and ambition. They are likely to have personality traits of being more open and calmer in their life, they don't seek out conflict. They are more motivated and focused in their life as they have a plan and things are important to them."

‘Lazy’ recyclers are not likely to have ‘good manners’ with signs of ‘ignorance’

‘People who don’t bother separating recycling goods into different bins show a lack of respect. They are also likely to have a lack of motivation. People who don't recycle with any regards to their consequences can be narcissistic, selfish and have a sense of self entitlement. It's their way or the highway. Ignorance and ineptitude plays a big part as people don't tend to think of the end consequences when they litter.”

Someone who recycles due to ‘bystander intervention’ can be ‘self-conscious’ or ‘timid’

“There is something called bystander intervention, the more people that are present, the more likely that someone with the trait of littering, will litter. If there are more people within an area, then people will feel less responsibility to intervene and correct someone, compared to if there are not a lot of people around. Then someone would feel more pressure and responsibility to correct someone if they littered, meaning that someone is less likely to litter. These people can be self-conscious and timid as they fear what others will think of them.”