World Recycling Day has been established since 2018 and is celebrated every year on March 18 around the world with the aim of highlighting the contribution of recycling to the preservation of our planet’s rich resources and sustainable development.

At the same time, it aims to raise awareness among the world’s citizens and political leaders to take actions that boost recycling. Although there are certainly many reasons why recycling is of great importance, let us emphasize that it is one of the most important “tools” for the protection of our natural environment and a main element of the circular economy.

On the occasion of the Day, see five ways to easily integrate recycling into your life.

Recycling at home

To make it easier on ourselves when it comes to recycling at home, it’s important to place different containers in our space so that we can separate our recyclables based on the material they’re made from. But beware, not all plastic products are recyclable, and this is the main reason why we still use so many plastic items in our daily lives. Only those with the symbol below can be recycled. Plastic bags from the supermarket, plastic straws, plastic coffee/water glasses, disposable plates, snack and frozen bags, are not recycled.

Use of reusable & ecological items

Using reusable objects is much more important than you might think. Consider that the average person drinks at least two coffees a day, and one of them comes from a coffee shop, which he enjoys from his plastic cup. Think of the huge amount of plastic cups used every day… it’s huge, especially when you consider the tons of plastic that goes unrecycled every year. Therefore, adopt your own coffee glass, which you will find hundreds of designs and colors on the market.

Also, regarding our visits to supermarkets, as we mentioned above, the plastic bags they offer to consumers are not recycled, so using our own bag from home is essential. We recommend clothes that are much more durable. At the same time, you can adopt eco-friendly everyday items, such as your toothbrush.

Reuse of materials

You can use different products for many other reasons. Like for example a plastic cup, you can use it to plant a plant, your old documents or any other kind of paper can be used as scrap paper, before being thrown in the recycling bins.

Composting

Composting, for those of you who haven’t heard the term before, is a natural process in which materials of plant origin are turned into a rich organic mixture, which in turn improves the soil, resulting in fertilizer for the garden. In this way, we “recycle” various materials that we have at home, such as vegetable and fruit residues, coffee residues and egg shells.

Battery recycling

Battery recycling is very important as there are an average of 78 batteries in every home. When the battery is empty and we throw it in the trash, in this way we lose valuable raw materials and therefore energy, while many of its elements can pass into the water table with dangerous effects on human health. Therefore, it would be beneficial to recycle batteries so that their “life cycle” continues.