Did you know that after water, air, oil, natural gas, coal and minerals, recycled materials could be the world’s seventh major resource?
And unlike the first six, recycling offers a resource that can be used again and again.
According to the Bureau of International Recycling, the organisation behind Global Recycling Day https://www.globalrecyclingday.com/ recycling can save over 700 million tonnes in CO2 emissions each year, and it offsets all CO2 emissions generated by the aviation industry annually. Recycled material supplies over 40 % of the world’s raw material needs. And although there’s still a long way to go, the recycling industry is leading to more job creation worldwide.
Every year, Global Recycling Day is on March 18. While every day should be a ‘global recycling day,’ it’s an opportunity to draw focus to better habits, practices and policies, from a single household to a worldwide movement.
Every individual can play a part. Many of us are no doubt already scrupulous about recycling as much as we possibly can, and avoiding materials and packaging that put more virgin plastic and non-recyclable nasties into the environment. But do you know what happens to recyclables once they’ve left your bin? Is your local, state or federal government committed to positive recycling policies? Do they crack down on industries that ignore best practice?
Are we all doing enough?
For more details on the Seventh Resource, see https://www.globalrecyclingday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ManifestoFINAL.pdf
