Today marks the start of Recycling Week NZ 2019 and Auckland Council is getting behind the national effort to turn the spotlight on recycling.

“As a region, we have set a target of achieving zero waste to landfill by 2040,” says Parul Sood, General Manager Waste Solutions. “And upping our game on recycling is a critical part of reaching that goal.”

Sponsored by Reclaim and now in its eighth year, Recycling Week is an opportunity for Kiwis to focus on what they can do to help create a waste-free future for New Zealand by adopting effective recycling habits and thinking about what they buy and how they dispose of things they no longer want.

This year’s Recycling Week kicks off with Procurement Monday – when we’re asked to only purchase items that are able to be recycled or items that contain recycled content, rather than virgin materials.

“One of the easiest ways we can reduce the amount of waste going to landfill is to know what packaging is able to be recycled and then buy those items when we’re out doing our grocery shopping,” says Parul Sood.

What makes an even bigger impact is when we also purchase products that have recycled content in them – whether it’s the product itself or the packaging wrapped around a product.

It means that we’re helping to support the recycling industry - those businesses that are recycling existing materials rather than taking more resources from the earth. By choosing items with recycled content, we help to build a circular economy that makes, uses, and recycles, rather than one that’s built on an unsustainable ‘take, make, waste’ linear model.

“We need to start thinking circular when we buy things. Buying items with recycled content helps to keep products and materials in use as well as designing out waste and pollution,” explains Parul Sood.

Want to learn more about recycling

To test your knowledge of what can and can’t be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin, check out the council’s online Recycle Right game. It’s a fun way to find out if you’re a recycling legend.

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