By this time into Recycling Week you may have had a few discussions about your recycling habits and what can and can't be recycled.
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While we are keen recyclers, Planet Ark research shows 94 per cent of us are making at least one mistake at the recycling bin.
Test your knowledge with their recycling mythbusters quiz. There are ten Biome Prize Packs up for grabs, which include all sorts of resuable goodies.
What you can do at work
PlanetArk are also aiming to recycle 5000 mobile phones from workplaces this November and are offering the chance to win one of five $100 JB Hi-Fi vouchers. Register your Monday Muster on any Monday in November and encourage your colleagues to bring in their old mobile phones for recycling. The plastics and metals that were used to make it are valuable resources that can be recovered and made into new products, reducing the need to mine.
You can also recycle print cartridges (Planet Ark turns the plastic and leftover ink from printer cartridges into new materials and products like road surfaces and artists' ink), and some aluminium coffee capsules.
What you can do at home
With the rise of 'fast fashion', clothing and textiles has quickly become one of the fastest growing waste streams in Australia. Hosting a clothing drive at your home or workplace is a great way to ensure unwanted clothing ends up in the hands of those in need rather than landfill.
You could also hold a Swap Party to encourage people to reuse items which, in turn, reduces the demand for new items. Goods up for swapping could be anything from DVDs and fashion to books and toys.
Try to buy recycled
However while recycling is great, unless you're buying recycled products you're only doing half the job. It's all about closing the recycling loop - the more products you buy that are made from recycled materials the greater the environmental benefits and the more efficient the use of natural resources.
Choosing to buy products made from recycled materials supports green jobs, keeps waste out of landfills and reduces carbon emissions. Check out the Recycled Products Directory on RecyclingNearYou.