Global Recycling Day is March 18
Similar to America Recycles Day, Global Recycling Day was created by the global recycling organization Bureau of International Recycling (BIR). It’s an opportunity for the world to come together to recognize and to celebrate the importance recycling plays in the circular economy. The mission is two-fold:
- To tell world leaders that recycling is simply too important not to be a global issue and that a common joined 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
Six of the earth’s natural resources represent the foundation of our very existence. Our daily life as we know it relies on water, air, oil, natural gas, coal and minerals. The things we depend on for sustenance and survival: energy, consumer goods, clothing, food production and transportation derive from one of these six. Today, humanity can’t survive without them. Yet these resources are finite and non-renewable. We cannot continue to consume them at our current pace.
Our problem is that we approached recycling from a “waste” perspective. Images of the “garbage barge” prompted the cry to “save landfill space”. We took a trash can, changed the color and called it a “recycling” container. Then we put a lock on that container and called it a “security” container to protect documents destined for shredding. Although we have been recycling materials for their intrinsic value since ancient times, the modern approach was “out with the old, in with the new.”
The Seventh Resource
The “Seventh Resource” is a term coined by BIR to represent the resources that until now we have considered waste: recyclables. The Global Recycling Day Manifesto sets out the vision and belief in the power of the Seventh Resource. Reimagining waste as a resource is the foundation of a circular economy according to research by Accenture It could unlock an estimated $4.5 trillion in additional economic growth by 2030 by turning waste into wealth.
This year’s theme is “Don’t Think Waste – Think Opportunity.” This theme encourages viewing recyclable materials as valuable resources (the “Seventh Resource”) rather than garbage, driving innovation, creativity, and economic growth. It highlights the role of recycling in building a circular economy and protecting natural resources.
Global Recycling Day itself to be a day of celebration, championship and change: championship of the good recycling can do, and for us all to make a change in our attitudes and practices towards our own waste and recycling habits.”
Nowhere is that mindset shift more important than with electronics.
The Hidden Value Inside Our Devices
That old smartphone in your drawer?
It’s not waste — it contains gold, copper, aluminum and rare earth elements.
That outdated laptop gathering dust?
It contains reusable components that can be harvested for a refurbished unit.
Electronics may be obsolete for today’s sophisticated software and uses but they contain finite resources that required significant energy, mining, and environmental impact to extract. When we discard devices improperly, we not only lose those materials, we risk contaminating the soil, water and air. When we recycle them, we unlock opportunity.
Building the Future From Opportunity
Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Devices get faster, smaller, and more powerful — but that doesn’t mean yesterday’s technology has no value. By choosing responsible electronics recycling, individuals and businesses become part of a larger solution:
- Protecting finite materials
- Reducing environmental impact
- Driving sustainable innovation
- Supporting a circular economy
This Global Recycling Day, take a look at the devices you no longer use. Don’t think waste – Think opportunity!