Tuesday the 19th of March 2019 was global recycling day.
Let us now look at what this day is all about: Global Recycling Day was created in 2018 to help recognize, and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet. It is a day for the world to come together, and put the planet first.
The creation of the Global Recycling Foundation is a crucial step in securing the long term future of Global Recycling Day and other initiatives aiming at the promotion of a global and united approach to recycling. Recycling (whether industrial 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 has been simple: to drive awareness and to push the urgent need to recycle more effectively around the world, to assure the future of our planet. There are six major natural resources on the planet: water, air, coal, oil, natural gas and minerals. Recyclables have joined them, as the world’s Seventh Resource.
Recycling (whether industrial or at home) saves more CO2 emissions each year than those generated by the entire aviation industry,
Without recycling, all our used and discarded fridges, plastic bottles, packing boxes, cars, cell phones, and paper cups will contribute to the growing waste mountains, which are either incinerated or sent to landfill – never to be used again. Without recycling, we have no option but to continue stripping the earth of her finite virgin resources.
South Africa: How do we recycle?
Recycling is an age-old tradition, we used to have people collecting all sorts of recyclable material. Men used to give out sweets or popcorn as a token of appreciation when collecting these materials. It was a clean and decent operation as compared to what we see happening today. Massive littering and environmental degradation take place in the name of recycling. There is no control and management within this operation. If no drastic steps are not put in place urgently then we are headed for disaster. People do these collections under extremely unhygienic conditions, they wear no gloves, face masks, and proper protective clothing. This is a health hazard. We have seen people chase after dumping trucks at waste disposal sites and some getting badly injured in the process. We hope this will be rectified by the departments concerned.
From: A passionate citizen.
