Why is recycling neglected in the fight to preserve the planet’s green capital?
The Global Recycling Foundation is calling for recycling to be recognised as an essential weapon in preserving the planet’s green capital. Speaking in London, Ranjit Baxi, founder of the Global Recycling Foundation, said: “Recycling has a major impact on preserving the environment, saving energy, and reducing pollution, so why does it not receive the recognition it deserves? Recycling one tonne of paper saves as many as 31 trees and it also saves energy, or 5 m³ it would otherwise take up in a landfill if it was not recycled and yet it is scarcely an afterthought at climate change conferences.”
He added: “Recyclables, known as the Seventh Resource, unlike water, clean air, natural gas, oil, coal and minerals, can always be renewed. Every year the Seventh Resource saves over a billion tons in CO2 emissions or to put it another way, it more than offsets all the CO2 emissions generated by the aviation industry every year. Meanwhile literally billions of tons of so called ‘waste’ ends up in landfill sites.”
Tom Bird, President of the Bureau of International Recycling, noted: “COP26 called for preserving green capital and supporting carbon saving initiatives to help deliver our climate goals. Recycling has for centuries helped reduce waste, cutting carbon emissions, and preserving the environment.”
