This year National Recycling Week runs from 10 – 16 November.

Every year Planet Ark runs National Recycling Week to share knowledge, education, events and inspiring stories about recycling. Planet Ark reports that since it was created in 1996, the recycling rate in Australia has gone from 7% and just 1.5 million total tonnes recycled to over 60% and 43 million tonnes of materials recycled. That is a massive improvement in the way we treat valuable resources, but there’s still a lot of work to do to create a truly circular economy.

This year’s campaign, which once again invites Australians to ‘Join the Cycle’, encourages councils, workplaces, schools and individuals to improve their recycling knowledge and build better recycling habits — while also taking steps to reduce consumption and reuse what they already have. Running from 10–16 November, National Recycling Week provides an opportunity for residents and workplaces to learn simple, practical ways to cut waste, recycle right, and help valuable materials stay in use for longer.

Planet Ark CEO Adam Culley said it’s vital that Australians understand their efforts make a real difference. “The vast majority of correctly recycled items do not go to landfill, and the system in place is effective at recovering valuable resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting down on the need for raw material extraction,” Mr Culley said.

You can learn about what Alpine Shire Council is doing to improve recycling in our Shire on the Alpine Shire Council Waste and Recycling website and our Waste & Circular Economy Hub.

How you can get involved

Residents can host or join recycling-themed events, brush up on their recycling knowledge using Planet Ark’s resources, learn about new developments in recycling policy and technology, or discover local options for recycling everything from batteries to textiles.

To learn more about National Recycling Week, visit the Planet Ark website here: https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/nationalrecyclingweek/