Global Recycling Day Date in the current year: March 18, 2024

Every year, humans produce millions of tons of waste, and the global rate of waste generation isn’t slowing down. The immense amount of waste we produce is a global issue that needs to be solved in order to protect the environment and conserve nonrenewable resources.

The three basic steps that everyone can take to lower the amount of waste are often referred to as the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. In other words, we should try to produce as little household waste as possible, give used items a second life before throwing them away, and recycle used items made from recyclable materials.

Recycling is the process where waste materials are converted into new materials and objects. It helps minimize the amount of waste we produce and save raw materials. Materials that can be recycled include cardboard and paper, glass, metal, many kinds of plastic, textiles, tires, batteries, and electronics. Composting of biodegradable waste is also considered recycling.

Ideally, recycling should produce a fresh supply of the same material, but some types of materials are too difficult or expensive to remanufacture multiple times without affecting their purity. Such materials are reused to produce different materials, for example, paper can be used to produce paperboard. The salvage of valuable or hazardous materials from complex products (for example, gold from electronics, lead from car batteries or mercury of thermometers) is another form of recycling.

Recycling is a key part of the circular economy, i.e. a model of production and consumption that aims to tackle global challenges such as waste, climate change, and pollution by repairing, reusing, refurbishing, sharing, leasing, and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.

Recycling is sometimes referred to as the “seventh resource” in addition to the six most important natural resources we use (air, water, natural gas, oil, minerals, and coal). It helps save over 700 million tonnes in CO₂ emissions every year, boosts employment by creating jobs in the recycling industry, and supplies 40% of raw material needs, helping preserve nonrenewable resources.

Global Recycling Day has been observed every March 18 since 2018. It was initiated by the Bureau of International Recycling and is promoted by the Global Recycling Foundation, a private foundation that funds awareness and educational programs and initiatives focused on the inclusive and sustainable development of recycling around the globe.

There are many ways to observe Global Recycling Day. You can start sorting waste if you are not doing so already, start composting organic waste, ditch single-use plastics, host an event in your community to promote recycling, donate to a non-profit that works to promote recycling and reduce waste, and spread the word using the hashtags #GlobalRecyclingDay and #RecyclingDay.