Global Recycling Day 2019 – How Can my Business get Involved?

Global Recycling Day is an annual event, created in 2018 to help recognise and celebrate the important part that recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future for our planet. This year it will take place on 18^th March 2019, with a theme of ‘recycling into the future.’

Global Recycling Day brings countries and individuals together on a two-part mission.

1. To bring recycling to the forefront for world leaders and,
2. To invite people across the globe to think resource, not waste, when it comes to the goods we use every day.

Climate change is the major, overriding environmental issue of our time and collaboratively, we have to take urgent action.

Recycling (whether at work or at home) saves more CO2 emissions each year than those generated by the entire aviation industry, while simultaneously protecting the Earth’s valuable natural resources.

By combining as many voices and efforts as possible on a single day, the aim is simple: to drive awareness and to push the urgent need to recycle more effectively around the world.

Our planet needs our support!

There are many ways to get involved with Global Recycling Day, and your contribution doesn’t have to take place on the day itself; the goal for the day is to bring our thought and attention to the matter at hand and pay attention to commercial waste or business waste collection services over the long term.

Businesses across the globe are already making both large and small changes to help reduce their carbon footprints and environmental impact. Global Recycling Day is a great time to focus your company’s environmental efforts further. Whether you’re the MD or a temporary member of staff, you can lead the way with this important cause.

Here’s some ideas to get you started:

• Examine what you recycle, how this is done, and whether your processes could be improved.
• Do one innovative thing to improve recycling at your workplace, then write a blog post about this, for your company website. You can also send details of your innovation to info@globalrecyclingfoundation.org for the opportunity to be featured to on the Global Recycling Foundation blog.
• Take to social media to share your innovative new recycling project, using the hashtag #GRDInnovation.
• Audit the products you buy regularly for your business. Could these be replaced with eco-friendly alternatives? This could be as simple as replacing throwaway paper cups at the water cooler with glasses or getting rid of straws in your work cafeteria.
  Look out for ECOLOGO, Energy Star and EPEAT labels, all of which identify products as eco-friendly choices. Don’t forget to buy products which feature the Mobius loop too – that’s the international recycling logo.
• Following the ‘future of recycling’ theme, why not arrange a school visit to talk to students about the ways in which your business supports recycling? You could also bring your children to work to help sort through the day’s waste, or team up with a local school or college for a lunch-break litter pick.
• Join in with #RecyclingGoals, a social media movement running in the lead up to Global Recycling Day, and on the day itself. All you have to do is take a picture of a member of staff scoring a goal (preferably into a recycling bin, but a standard football net will do) whilst pledging to make a long-term commitment to better recycling practices
  • e.g. “I pledge to recycle all my plastic drinking bottles from today, and I nominate John Smith to take the #RecyclingGoals challenge next.”
  • Post this video on Twitter, using the #RecyclingGoals hashtag, and why not share with clients and on our company website, nominating them to take part too?
  • There are seven pledges to inspire you…use less plastics, repair instead of buying new, follow local recycling instructions, only put clean items in recycling bins, find out how to recycle electronics, recycle packaging and help friends and family become more aware. Or you can choose your own goal.

• Take the opportunity to make smarter waste disposal decisions. How much of your rubbish is recycled? Here at Skip It, we’re proud to recycle 95 per cent of the waste that we’re responsible for. If your current waste disposal provider can’t match that figure, get in touch with us to discuss how we could support your businesses with more responsible and ethical rubbish disposal.
• Send out a press release, letting local, trade and industry specific publications know how you’ll be supporting Global Recycling Day.
• Become an official sponsor of Global Recycling Day. Packs can be ordered by Emailing sponsorship@globalrecyclingday.com.

The organisers of Global Recycling Day are keen to stress that while any or all of these ideas can be adopted, the day is also an opportunity for businesses to be innovative with their approach to recycling – so think outside the box and show the world your creative side!

For further information about Global Recycling Day, please refer to these resources:

Twitter: @GlbRecyclingDay
Facebook and Instagram: @globalrecyclingday

www.globalrecyclingday.com