Over half of Brits experience 'green guilt' for not doing enough for the environment

More than half of Brits suffer 'green guilt' - because they feel they don't do enough to help the environment.

A study of 2,000 adults revealed 53 per cent have felt guilty for not always doing their bit – with large amounts of food waste the most common thing to feel bad about.

A third feel responsible because they choose to drive a car instead of walk, while 31 per cent feel remorse for using plastic bottles.

On average, adults feel guilty four times a week for not acting as environmentally friendly as they could.

But 19 per cent keep their 'green guilt' a secret, and don't even tell friends and family about their bad habits.

A spokesman from Budweiser, which commissioned the research ahead of Earth Day to highlight how every keg, bottle and can of Budweiser are now brewed using 100 per cent renewable electricity, said: “The pressure to be more environmentally friendly is huge, and people often feel powerless to act."

The study also found that leaving electronics on standby (33 per cent), putting recycling in the general waste bin (29 per cent), and even eating meat (25 per cent) were also among the things people feel most guilty about.

A lack of confidence and knowledge when it comes to being eco-friendly

But while 37 per cent still want to do more to be green, almost a quarter admit to having a lack of knowledge around sustainability.

And one in eight lack confidence in making more environmentally friendly choices.

Despite this, 51 per cent want a brighter future for the planet, with the average adult doing a sustainable act eight times a week.