Today is Global Recycling Day!

Today (Tuesday 18 March) is the eighth Global Recycling Day, which was created in 2018 to help recognise and celebrate the importance recycling plays in preserving precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet.

It is a day for the world to come together and put the planet first. The mission of the day, as set out by the Global Recycling Foundation, is twofold, to:

• tell world leaders that recycling is simply too important not to be a global issue, and that a common joined up approach to recycling is urgently needed;
• ask people across the planet to see resources, not waste, when it comes to the goods around us: until this happens, we simply will not award recycled goods the true value and repurpose they deserve.

Seventh resource

Every year, the Earth yields billions of tons of natural resources and at some point, in the not too distant future, it will run out. That is why we must think again about what we throw away, seeing not waste, but opportunity.

The last decade has been the hottest on record, and we are now facing a climate emergency of unparalleled proportions. If we do not make significant and rapid changes, we will see continued rising global temperatures, the melting of icecaps, continents on fire and rapid deforestation.

This directly affects humanity with increased poverty, immigration from displaced communities, job losses, waste mountains, and natural habitats disappearing. We have the power to make lasting changes to combat this, and with recycling recognised in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals 2030, we are already seeing many individuals, governments and organisations taking direct action to support the global green agenda.

Recycling is a key part of the circular economy, helping to protect our natural resources. Each year the 'Seventh Resource', recyclables, saves over 700 million tonnes in CO2 emissions, and this is projected to increase to one billion tons by 2030.

There is no doubt recycling is on the front line in the way to save the future of our planet and humanity.

Get involved

There are many ways to get involved this Global Recycling Day, including:

• learn to clean and sort your recycling properly - this is essential to making sure your efforts make an impact;
• fix stuff and repurpose waste - rather than replacing clothes and shoes at the first time of wear and tear, repair them;
• educate friends and family on recycling;
• choose a reputable waste management company - using a properly licensed waste management company will guarantee that your waste is handled with the environment in mind;
• keep informed and up-to-date on upcoming separation of waste changes in the UK and Ireland.