Green Solutions
Global Recycling Day 2019 has arrived and people around the world are joining in the celebrations to mark the day. With events from beach clean ups to high school litter picks, and football challenges to school visits taking place in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America, every corner of the globe is uniting to celebrate the importance of recycling.
An initiative of the Global Recycling Foundation, Global Recycling Day is a movement dedicated to celebrating the importance of recycling and to making the world think resource not waste. Now in its second year, the day was created in 2018 to help recognise, and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources, lowering global carbon emissions and securing the future of our planet.
This year’s event is focused on ‘Recycling into the Future’ and is centred on the power of youth, education and innovation in ensuring a brighter future across the globe. With social media and educational activities to get involved in, and events across the world to attend, the Global Recycling Foundation is encouraging everyone to celebrate these key themes and look towards the impact that today’s young people and future technologies can have on recycling.
Global Recycling Day activities around the world
Key Global Recycling Day activities taking place include the #Recycling Goals challenge – a football themed social media campaign where people around the world are challenged to take a video of themselves scoring a soccer goal, whilst pledging to make a long term commitment to better recycling practices. Tying in with the global power of soccer, videos are already pouring in using the #RecyclingGoals hashtag – from South Africa to the UK and the Netherlands.
There are also more sporting endeavours in India where the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (BMC), supported by MRAI, is set to host the first Global Recycling Day marathon - a run aiming to create awareness about recycling in a bid to ensure a more sustainable future.
Other Global Recycling Day opportunities including joining the many city-centre eventstaking place across the globe; locations include Brussles, Dehli, Dubai, Durban, Lagos, London, Middleburg, Paris, Rotherham, Sao Paolo, Seoul and Washington DC.
Schools are also being asked to take part by downloading the Global Recycling Day educational programmes for use in classrooms around the world.
Pledging to make better recycling habits
Leaders, businesses, communities and individuals are also being asked to use the 18thMarch as a day to pledge to become better recyclers, to lower waste, and reduce, reuse and recycle more.
The Global Recycling Foundation is encouraging everyone to show their support by forging better recycling habits with these handy tips:
1) Consider alternatives to plastic
Whether it’s investing in a reusable coffee cup, trying a bamboo toothbrush or cutting out plastic straws, there are some easy ways to reduce plastic consumption.
2) Cut waste at work
Consider workplace habits and watch how much paper is being printed or how offices could more sustainably dispose of old computers by donating or selling them.
3) Repair and reuse old things
Living in a ‘fast fashion’ culture, it’s easy to throw things away without considering how they could be reused. Think about mending, repairing or finding a new use for old belongings.
4) Check local recycling policies
Many areas have different recycling rules and it’s important to be aware of what can and can’t be recycled.
5) Avoiding food waste
Every year the world throws away millions of tonnes of food waste which can end up in landfill sites where it releases greenhouse gases such as methane.
6) Consider the surprising things that can be recycled
Whether it’s mobile phones, cosmetics, eyeglasses or keys, there’s a multitude of surprising everyday products that can be recycled.
Recycling is important every day of the year and, with these handy tips, the Global Recycling Foundation is encouraging people to celebrate the power of recycling on Global Recycling Day and beyond.
Ranjit Baxi, president of the Global Recycling Foundation, commented: ‘Recycling and other environmental concerns are some of the most pressing issues we are facing in 2019 and we must work to unite the world to think ‘resource not waste’ and protect the future of our planet. In order to live up to current climate change agreements and reduce the collective carbon footprint, the Global Recycling Foundation is encouraging everyone to get involved in this worldwide movement and celebrate the power of recycling on 18thMarch 2019, and have fun while doing it.’