“I am delighted to be announcing this very important date,” said Baxi. “We want to use this day to promote action on recycling around the world. Our members, who rank amongst the most prestigious recycling companies in the industry, want to take ownership of this powerful initiative. We were the first global trade body to be created and therefore our 70th anniversary is a fitting date for such an important event. We want people to think ‘resource’, not ‘waste’. There are 7 billion people on this earth, and if we can just get 10% of these people to make one positive recycling change on Global Recycling Day, it will have a massive impact.”
“There are 6 major natural resources: water, air, coal, oil, natural gas and minerals,” explained Baxi. “We believe that recyclables should be recognized as the 7th most important resource. We want to raise awareness amongst the public regarding this 7th resource and enhance the perception that recycling is about creating a clean and sustainable environment for us and for future generations. We must also acknowledge that without the huge skills and expertise of the recycling industry, this 7th resource would not have been accessible.”
During the course of 2017, BIR will be announcing a number of initiatives to mark Global Recycling Day. These will include global partnerships and calls for action. “The 18th of March 2018 will be the very first Global Recycling Day,” said Baxi. “We are confident that this special day will gather momentum as it is repeated year after year.”
