First-of-Its-Kind Event Highlights Massive Recycling Benefits

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The first ever ‘Global Recycling Day’ foresees immense future for world recycling industry. Speaking during the one-day event held in London, President of the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), Ranjit Baxi, highlighted the contributions of worldwide recycling industry.

According to Baxi, the recycling industry provides nearly 2 million jobs across the world. The industry also creates significant environment improvements by reducing waste and saving several million tons of carbon emissions. The industry is estimated to contribute approximately $400 billion to the global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025.

The ‘Global Recycling Day’ was held with the aim of projecting recycling as the ‘seventh resource’. BIR noted that recycling is an economically viable and sustainable addition to the existing key primary resources-air, water, coal, oil, natural gas and minerals. In connection with the event, all stakeholders came together to showcase the works already being done and discuss the future course of action.

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Also, several communities and international businesses made notable recycling commitments. A public walk event was held in Nigeria to promote recycling. In addition, social media campaigns were organized to highlight the benefits of recycling. These campaigns largely focused on the role played by recycling in reducing carbon emissions and the need of virgin materials in the production process.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) also participated in the events by underlining the key role played by recycling in achieving a more sustainable production and consumption model. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) too joined the celebrations by calling it an opportunity to boost recycling worldwide.

The event received support from people all over the world, especially from London, Paris, Brussels, Sao Paolo, Washington DC, Sydney, Delhi, Dubai and Johannesburg.