72% of Americans Believe Sustainability Education Should Be Core Curriculum, Yet Only 28% Say It's Adequately Funded

Survey exposes alarming gap between public demand and school reality

A new survey by ALPLA, a global manufacturer of innovative packaging solutions and recycler, reveals a significant disconnect between what Americans believe about sustainability education and what schools are providing—both in terms of how and when it's taught as well as how much money is spent to fund it.

The 2024 Sustainability in Education Survey found that while 72% of Americans believe sustainability should be a core part of school curricula, only 28% say it's adequately funded. This gap raises urgent questions about how we're preparing the next generation to tackle growing social and environmental challenges.

Key findings from the survey include:

• 72% of Americans believe sustainability education should be a core part of the school curriculum.
• 79% support integrating sustainability concepts across all subjects.
• 68% advocate for sustainability instruction to be taught at least weekly, with nearly 30% pushing for daily instruction.
• Only 28% feel sustainability education is adequately funded in their schools.
• 80% consider sustainability education critical to the planet's future.
• 73% would support increased funding for sustainability programs in schools.

The survey, conducted via the third-party platform Pollfish, asked 1,000 American adults about the importance, implementation and impact of sustainability education. The results paint a clear picture: Americans overwhelmingly recognize the importance of sustainability education, but we face significant challenges in turning this belief into reality. Lack of money and proper teacher training top the list of challenges in turning this public support into classroom reality.

"Sustainability education is essential for empowering the next generation to tackle social and environmental challenges,” says Billy Rice, Sustainability Manager at ALPLA, North America. “Seeing broad support for integrating sustainability education across school curriculums is encouraging. To truly prepare students for the future, we must ensure sustainability is taught regularly and woven into various subjects. This isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about equipping young minds to build a sustainable future for all of us.”

Visit the 2024 ALPLA Sustainability in Education Survey at ALPLA’s website for the complete survey results.

About Plastic Reimagined

Plastic Reimagined, an initiative of ALPLA, is an online campaign advocating for a circular economy. The website and social channels strive to educate and innovate with like-minded people determined to make a difference. Working across the entire value chain, we collaborate with others to reimagine the future of plastic through innovation, education, and policy advocacy for responsible use, effective recycling, and environmental protection. Join us in shaping a sustainable plastic future: www.plasticreimagined.org

About the ALPLA Group

ALPLA is one of the leading companies involved in plastic packaging and recycling. Around 23,300 employees worldwide produce custom-made packaging systems, bottles, caps and molded parts at 196 sites across 47 countries. In North America, ALPLA specializes in bottles and caps for the food, beverage, auto, health, beauty, and home care industries by using conscientious culture to drive purposeful packaging. ALPLA operates recycling plants for PET and HDPE. The international network of ALPLArecycling now includes 13 plants, including 4 joint ventures, in 9 countries: Germany, Italy, Mexico, Austria, Poland, Romania, Spain, South Africa and Thailand. Other projects are being realized elsewhere around the world. www.alpla.com

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