Youngsters in the City of Logan in South Brisbane have welcomed representatives from local council, as well as celebrated milestones, during National Recycling Week. Read more
Buy Recycled call
Australians are being urged to ‘buy recycled’ during National Recycling week, November 8-14.
NSW’s Narrabri recycling facility praised during National Recycling Week
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley joined Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton in Narrabri highlighting the role that regional Australia can play in Australia’s recycling transformation, and the need to ensure remote and regional communities have access to recycling opportunities.
Sorting out recycling bins
By Zoe Watkins, MRA Consulting Group
During National Recycling Week, Zoe Watkins looks at the complexities of the yellow-lidded recycling bin for those outside of the waste industry. Read more
Upcoming National Recycling Week celebrating its 25th anniversary
Established by Planet Ark in 1996, National Recycling Week provides an opportunity for councils, workplaces, schools and individuals to improve their recycling habits and knowledge. Read more
LGNSW calls for recycling refresher course
National Recycling Week is the perfect time to ensure kerbside waste collection and recycling creates a product not a problem, according to Local Government NSW (LGNSW) President Linda Scott.
Australians underestimate the economic value of recycling
Up to 80 per cent of Australians don’t realise the value of recycling to the national economy – approximately $15.5 billion, according to new research released for Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week.
Nominations open for 2018 WA Infinity Awards
Nominations are now open for the Western Australia Waste Authority’s Infinity Awards 2018, which include nine new categories.
The awards recognise innovative solutions to reduce waste and increase reuse and recycling.
Related stories:
- AFIA waste winner announced
- Winners announced for 2018 APCO awards
- Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards 2018 finalists revealed
Individuals, business, local governments, schools, community organisations, state government agencies and media outlets are able to be nominated for the awards.
Winners will be announced at a gala dinner ceremony on 15 November during National Recycling Week.
The awards for 2018 are:
- Avoid Recover Protect – Community Waste Award
- Avoid Recover Protect – Commercial and Industrial Waste Award
- Avoid Recover Protect – Waste Management Award
- 2018 Waste Champion
- 2018 Young Waste Champion
- Waste Team of the Year
- Waste Innovation of the Year
- Waste Wise School of the Year
- Media Award
WA Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said the awards are an ideal opportunity to recognise and reward the work being done around the state to reduce waste.
“By launching new categories this year, we are hoping to offer more opportunities for deserving individuals and organisations to enter their projects and initiatives into the awards and be recognised for the good work that they do,” Mr Dawson said.
“I strongly encourage everyone to put your projects forward and enter this year’s awards.”
Nominations can be entered until 5 October. For more details, click here.
National Recycling Week reflects on historical efforts
Planet Ark has encouraged residents and businesses to help close the loop by purchasing products that contain recycled content.
It comes amid this year’s National Recycling Week (13 – 19 November), which aims to highlight what happens to materials once they have been recycled and how everyone plays a role.
In the 20 years to 2015, Australia’s population increased by 28 per cent and waste levels grew by 170 per cent.
Currently the Australian manufacturing economy is predominantly linear, which can be summarised as ‘take, make, use and dispose’. Planet Ark argues this is not sustainable. A circular economy on the other hand, replaces ‘dispose’ with ‘recycle, reuse and repurpose’ and keeps important materials from being wasted in landfill.
“Since the introduction of kerbside recycling in the 80s and 90s Australians have really embraced recycling.
“But to truly close the recycling loop, and keep valuable resources like plastic, metal and paper in circulation and out of landfills, we need to buy back the products that have been made from our recycling,” said Ryan Collins, Planet Ark’s Recycling Programs Manager.
New research from Planet Ark’s new guide What Goes Around: Why Buying Recycled Matters shows 88 per cent of Australians already purchase products that contain recycled materials, and 70 per cent said they would be more likely to purchase products and/or packaging if they contained recycled materials.
Most Australians also have high awareness of some products that can be made with recycled materials including office paper (83 per cent), toilet tissue (75 per cent) and paper towels (78 per cent).
However, the new research also shows there is less awareness about other products that can be made using recycled materials, such as road surfaces, printer cartridges, paving and carpet underlay.
“We’re actually surrounded by products made from our recycling, and people may be surprised by some of the recycled products out there, like wallets and purses made from tyre inner tubes and surfboard fins made from ocean plastic.”
“Also, inspiring discoveries from research and development projects are finding more and more ways to utilise waste, so the list of products made from recycled materials will continue to grow,” Mr Collins said.
Some of those research and development innovations include using the unique qualities of problem waste, like tyres, to create synthetic hockey or soccer pitches. Green steel is another potential recyclable material, which reduces electricity consumption and delivers productivity improvements.
Other inspiring stories include research into new uses for glass, which can be used in road bases and construction.
“When consumers and businesses purchase products that are made from recycled materials, they create a demand for recycling, which supports Australian industry, allows new recycled manufacturing opportunities to flourish and creates jobs.
“As well as being good for the environment, the financial benefits of this closed loop cycle are significant.”