Earth Day falls on April 22nd and is celebrated all over the world each year.
It’s a day dedicated to encouraging people to protect the earth, making them more environmentally mindful of their actions and the impact they have on the globe.
The campaign for Earth Day 2017 is Environmental & Climate Literacy – promoting environmental education for all ages.
Local Authorities can capitalise on this year’s theme by encouraging citizens to be more conscious of maximising their recycling efforts and minimizing what their household sends to landfill.
Reasons to recycle more and waste less for Earth Day
Although the UK has made improvements, and recycling rates are on the rise, we’re still sending far more than we should to landfill and this is having a negative impact on our planet.
As well as polluting water and land – which poses a threat to the health of humans and animals alike – sending waste to landfill also contributes to the production of methane which is considered the second most damaging greenhouse gas (following carbon dioxide).
It’s estimated that around 50-60% of what we put in the bin could be recycled; when you consider that each household produces roughly 1 tonne of rubbish every year, this becomes a significant figure. By taking responsibility for recycling correctly, we could halve the amount of waste sent to landfill and thus halve the impact on the environment.
Promote Recycling for Earth Day 2017
There are numerous reasons why many people don’t recycle properly (or at all):
“I’m too busy; I don’t have time to sort through my rubbish.”
“I have a small kitchen and no space for recycling.”
“It’s too confusing; I don’t know what to recycle.”
“It doesn’t make a difference – it all gets sent to the same place!”
But the bigger issue that hides behind these excuses is a lack of education on how to recycle effectively and efficiently without wasting too much time or space.
And this is where Councils can make a real difference by educating residents on how and what to recycle in their area.
We can help too
We understand that getting the message of ‘recycle more’ to your citizens can cost a lot in terms of both time and money, but we have a modern solution to reduce those pressures.
The @HOME recycling app is designed to simplify communications with residents, allowing you to keep them up-to-date on when to put their rubbish out, and educate them on what they can and can’t recycle in the area. It can help spread the word and boost recycling rates without the need of costly leafletting.
To find out more about the Agile@HOME app and how your Council can benefit, just get in touch.