OPINION: As we mark the fifth annual Global Recycling Day, we are reminded of the ever-growing importance of our need to act for our environment, whether it be at the legislative, business, or individual level.
In November, the National Infrastructure Commission reported that rising greenhouse gas emissions from the incineration of waste and stagnating recycling rates will stop the UK reaching net zero by 2050. On a global level, a recent IPCC report warned that the chance of securing a liveable future for all is narrowing due to the ongoing climate crisis. This means it’s more important than ever to ensure Global Recycling Day inspires businesses to act.
Key workers
As we emerge from two years of lockdowns, part of the focus for this year is to take the time to celebrate the people who continued to process the nation’s waste and recycling amidst the Covid-19 uncertainty. As key workers, they worked tirelessly to keep our nation’s environmental services moving and our economy as circular as possible.
Too often, the important and promising career paths offered by the waste and recycling industry are overlooked. Yet, recycling and waste management will play a significant part in helping businesses meet their wider sustainability targets. It’s time we ensure proper recognition is given to those who work diligently – often without credit – in our unique sector and provide much needed environmental expertise. I’m proud to have worked alongside my team non-stop throughout the pandemic, providing vital services to businesses when they needed all the help they could get.
Recycling
Recycling rates in the UK are lower than in many other European countries and have plateaued since 2013. Whilst we’ve made huge progress as a global society in our understanding of the need for recycling over recent decades, we must not get complacent. Ongoing education across industries, regions, and even generations, is needed. To tackle the environmental challenges of tomorrow, we must put best practices in place today. We must promote greater awareness of the environmental and fiscal benefits of recycling and waste management.
Recycling shouldn’t be seen as just a more palatable way of disposing of waste – these materials should be seen and treated as a vital resource. Many of our clients at Axil generate cardboard packaging, plastic and food waste, and some also deal with valuable materials like metals and cooking oil. Through rebates, businesses can reduce waste management costs by generating value through their recycled materials. Not only does this help the business bottom line, but it also further incentivises businesses to get a handle on their recycling.
Sustainability
As more businesses continue to publicly commit to Environment Social and Governance (ESG) goals, or qualify for B Corp certification, sustainability awareness has never been higher on the boardroom agenda. Each element of ESG is important, but it is critical to our planet that the E is properly addressed across industries.
We need to turn awareness into action
Whilst the growing commitment to environmental issues in the business community is encouraging, we need to support a shift in thinking around how these sustainability targets are going to be achieved. We’ve moved beyond an era of business declarations and into a time where practical steps are valued over pledges alone. We need to turn awareness into action. After all, the UN declared this the ‘Decade of Action’.
In line with this, the UK government has committed to an ambitious 65% municipal recycling rate by 2035. To achieve these recycling targets, both households and commercial organisations will have to do their part. Whether it’s better segregation of materials, introducing a waste hierarchy to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover where possible, or starting by undertaking a waste audit, there are several ways businesses large and small can champion change. To make a measurable difference, we must take a holistic approach and think differently about how we treat so-called waste.
Action
So, as we recover from the pandemic, now is the time to turn aspirations into action. Organisations must urgently turn their public commitments into tangible and practical solutions or face justified claims of greenwashing alongside a global climate crisis.
Let’s all work together to make sure that by next year’s Global Recycling Day, we’ve got even more to celebrate.
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