Global Recycling Day 2024 is just around the corner for yet another year. The goal for this year is to recognise the people, places and activities that play an important role in recycling, as The Global Recycling Foundation announced this years theme to be #RecyclingHeroes.
What is Global Recycling Day?
Global Recycling Day was first created in 2018 to recognise the importance recycling plays in preserving primary resources and securing the future of our planet. Taking place on the 18th March every year, it’s celebrated amongst the world to come together and put the planet first.
The two main missions of Global Recycling Day, as set out by the Global Recycling Foundation, are as follows:
- To tell world leaders that recycling is simply too important not to be a global issue, and that a common, joined up approach to recycling is urgently needed.
- To ask people across the planet to think resource, not waste, when it comes to the goods around us – until this happens, we simply won’t award recycled goods the true value and repurpose they deserve.
Why is Global Recycling Day important?
This key day serves as a powerful reminder of the crucial role recycling plays in preserving our planet for future generations.
It’s a day for everyone to reflect on their recycling efforts and to make the positive changes needed to help the planet. At the moment, there is an average recycling rate of 45% in the UK. By recycling materials such as paper, plastics, glass, and metals, we can significantly minimise our carbon footprint and contribute to building a more sustainable world.
Global Recycling Day serves as a call to action for individuals, businesses, and governments worldwide to prioritise recycling efforts and adopt more eco-friendly practices in their daily lives.
Let’s take a look at why it’s particularly important to recycle in the workplace.
Encouraging recycling at work
Global Recycling Day is a great opportunity for businesses and employees to join the global movement towards sustainability.
It’s so important for businesses to promote recycling in the workplace, no matter their industry. Companies can put the effort in to recycle general materials such as plastic and glass, without bending over backwards. By embracing sustainability practices, businesses can also enhance their reputation and attract environmentally conscious consumers and investors.
Here’s some ways we can recycle at the workplace:
- Paper recycling – implementing paper recycling bins throughout the office encourages employees to dispose of used paper products such as office documents, newspapers, and magazines for recycling.
- Packaging recycling – encouraging employees to recycle packaging materials such as cardboard boxes and plastic packaging reduces waste.
- Employee education – companies can provide training sessions, workshops, or informational materials on recycling practices and sustainability initiatives that educate employees about the importance of recycling and encourage their participation in company-wide efforts.
Recycling in the vehicle recycling industry
As a business in the recycling industry, Overton Automotive are very aware of the importance of recycling. With a specific focus on auto recycling, we’re experts when it comes to recycling vehicle components in order to reduce carbon emissions and prevent landfill build-up.
There are many benefits of car recycling, including the environmental impact, cost-effectiveness for customers, and general sustainability awareness. Some of the recycled materials at Overton Automotive include metal, plastic, tyres and much more! Each has their own benefits to making the planet a greener place.
However beyond the recycling of vehicle components, the team at Overton Automotive are on another journey to promoting sustainability within the workplace. We’ve set targets with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to help achieve our goal of reducing 42% of emissions by 2030.
We’re pleased to say our goals are well underway as we’re currently implementing the following changes:
- More efficient use of our power sources and powered equipment e.g. LED lights, timer switches.
- Improving our building EPC grading.
- Upgrading our collection vehicles.
- Feasibility studies on all our plant and equipment with the view to planning to be at least 80% electric by 2030.
- Improving our recycling rates and monitoring % of particular products we recycle from ELV’S.
- Alternative power sources like ‘solar’ or ‘wind’ to power all or part of our buildings.
- Upgrading of plant and equipment to be powered by electricity rather than diesel or gas.
Mark Boden (Overton Automotive’s Business & Project Manager), is very keen to keep up the good, sustainable work at Overton Automotive.
He says, “Sustainability has been the “Buzz” word this year in our industry. Despite recycling tons of material each year for many years and contributing already to a “greener” planet, we are also now fully engaged in a Carbon Emission reduction programme and collectively we are looking forward to contributing to a cleaner environment. We have already made great steps in 2023 by achieving ISO14001 and our first Science Based Targets give us a firm foundation to improve further in 2024.”
Global Recycling Day serves as such an important reminder for individuals and businesses to take action and make the world a greener place. We’re excited to implement these changes at our yards across the UK and are looking forward to making a positive impact on our planet.
