In the run up to National Recycling Week, which is being held from 13-19 November, Planet Ark is aiming to remind consumers that much of what is currently send to landfill is valuable material that could be reused, repurposed or recycled, through a series of initiatives.
The organisation says this year’s theme, 'What goes around, comes around', is all about providing simple tips that enable Australians to keep those valuable materials in circulation.
Last year, Planet Ark research reportedly showed that Australian households are sending nearly 2.5 million tonnes of unnecessary waste to landfill. The organisation says it calculated that an estimated 441,000 tonnes of all material sent to landfill by households is likely recyclable packaging, while two million tonnes was organic material that could be composted at home or organic processing facilities. Those numbers were for households, but schools and workplaces deal with similar issues.
Planet Ark has now developed a series of resources to help Australians reduce waste and improve recycling at home, work and school, with fighting food waste and packaging waste a key focus.
One resource is its free recycling guide, which it says will help reinforce correct recycling and waste reduction behaviours.
To help tackle the problem, the group has also published some food storage hacks to help reduce waste in the first place, as well as resources on home composting and FOGO (food and organics recycling) services to ensure it doesn't end up in landfill, where it can cause significant emissions.
Planet Ark has also developed a workplace recycling guide including ready-made recycling presentations, a recycling trivia pack, and signage to put around the office.
As PKN recently reported, the organisation has also been visiting schools to raise awareness and encourage the next generation to cultivate positive recycling habits.
All of these resources can be accessed here.
