UK-based energy comparison company SaveOnEnergy has found that the ongoing oronavirus pandemic has made a major consumer change towards old textiles and recycling clothes.

SaveOnEnergy is now reporting a growth of environmental consciousness, as people are turning to recycling centers to dispose of unwanted items. The British cleaning service End of Tenancy Cleaning has recently seen a 500 percent increase in Google searches related to recycling, including the question “when will recycling centers reopen”.

The research company found that 12,670 people in Ireland have been engaging in Google searches related to “clothes recycling”, making it the most recycling-minded country in the EU. Germany and the Netherlands also showed high results, with 9,390 and 6,840 recycling searches.

SaveOnEnergy also found that shoes and jeans are the items that are recycled most frequently within the European countries included in the research.