Recycling is not just learning which bin to throw an item into. It’s about appreciating the resources that went into making the item and understanding the value of these materials. You will truly understand recycling if you change your mindset and see these items as a resource and not a waste product.
Why is recycling so important?
It’s not just about reducing the amount of trash we produce. It’s about ensuring that the things that we no longer need and the resources used to make them continue to be used over and over again.
Resources are defined as natural materials that satisfy our human needs and wants. They include air, water, oil & gas, coal, minerals, and land. All of our food, energy, homes, and belongings come from these six elements. Without these things, we would not survive.
But there is not an endless supply of these resources! There is a finite amount, and they will run out at some point.
This is why recycling is essential!
Recycling helps keep these materials in use—one of the fundamental principles of a circular economy. You can learn more about the circular economy here.
Whether you donate an item to be reused, repurpose an object into something else, or send an item to be recycled and made into something new, all these methods help keep materials in use longer. By keeping them in circulation, we get more from the resources used to make them while saving energy, water, and other resources. Plus, reusing these materials helps keep them out of landfills or stops them from polluting the environment.
What’s Global Recycling Day all about?
The primary mission of the Global Recycling Day movement is to help the world see recycling as a resource and not a waste product. They refer to it as the 7th resource.
The campaign was started in 2018. Since then, it’s grown into a worldwide movement with millions of people across the globe taking part. The day was even recognized in 2018 as an official day by UNIDO, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.
The goals of the Glocal Recycling Day Foundation are:
- To encourage world leaders to see the importance of recycling and to work towards a common approach to recycling.
2. To help people worldwide learn to see their unwanted or end-of-life belongings as a resource and not as waste.
When is Global Recycling Day?
Global Recycling Day is on the 18th of March every year.
What is this year’s theme for Global Recycling Day?
Every year, a theme is chosen for Global Recycling Day. This year, the theme is Recycling Heros. It’s a chance to acknowledge the people, businesses, and communities that inspire or encourage you to recycle. Ten winners will be selected from across the globe.
If you would like to nominate someone you know or a business that inspires you to recycle, here are the details for submitting an entry.
Our Favorite Recycling Hero is Boyen Slat
Boyan Slat is a Dutch inventor who founded The Ocean Cleanup at 18. He dropped out of his aerospace engineering studies at TU Delft to start the non-profit to address plastic waste in the oceans. During a scuba diving trip to Greece, he was surprised to see more plastic than fish and even more surprised to find that no serious attempts had been made yet to tackle the issue.
Boyan Slat has been recognized as the youngest-ever recipient of the UN’s highest environmental accolade, the Champions of the Earth. The award is the UN’s highest environmental recognition, created to celebrate remarkable people whose actions have had a transformative positive impact on the environment.
With Boyan Slat as CEO, The Ocean Cleanup has over 90 engineers, researchers, scientists, and computational modelers. They aim to remove ocean plastic pollution by designing and developing systems based on Boyan’s original designs. Tackling the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is no mean feat, and they have made significant headway this year. If you want to learn more, watch this video.
Our Recycled Brands
Plus, we think all of our Recycling Brand Directory businesses are Recycling Heros too. Head over and take a look at our RECYCLING BRAND DIRECTORY.
How to get involved on Global Recycling Day
A great place to start is to check out the Global Recycling Day website for registered events.
Joining events helps you learn more about recycling or helping the environment and is a great way to meet like-minded people in your community. Find out more about events taking place in your local area.
If you don’t find an event, consider organizing your own. Events can range from a litter pick-up to an exhibition, fashion show, or opportunity to get together and learn or educate others.
Other ways to get involved
Here are some other ideas for taking action this Global Recycling Day.
- Take some time to learn what things are made of and how to recycle. Here are some articles to help get you started:
- Help your friends and family learn more about recycling by sharing our website and articles
- Set up a recycling station at home. Having a place to collect your recyclable materials before you take them to the drop-off locations is a great way to stay organized. You can get some ideas in our article How to set up a recycling station.
- Learn how to reduce how much plastic and other materials you use.
- Find out how to buy recycled products that will help support recycling. Check out our brand directory to find some ideas.
