On April 22 the world comes together for the annual celebration of Earth Day. This year’s theme, “Invest in the Planet,” highlights the essential role recycling plays in saving and nurturing the environment. For there is no greater investment in the planet than the act of recycling. Each of us plays an important role in the recycling process. Every aluminum can, plastic container, outdated cellphone, old tire, or paper product that is recycled means fewer new natural resources must be harvested from a planet that has only so much to give.
The recycling industry is in a constant state of evolution, putting its best efforts toward developing new technologies and improving processes to handle the products reaching their end of life today, while also preparing for new products hitting the market that will one day need to be recycled.
By partnering with brands, we can increase the use of recycled content in the manufacturing process. At the same time, we can emphasize the need to design products that can be easily and safely recycled. This ensures a constant supply of materials in manufacturing while protecting the planet from the unnecessary destruction of necessary resources.
Recycing is something we can all do together, not just on Earth Day, but every day. Learn more about ISRI’s celebration of Earth Day and check out member resources at Earth Day Toolkit.