National Recycling Week

What is National Recycling Week?

Back since recycling bins were just a small black tub, Planet Ark has been helping Australians recycle right. National Recycling Week (NRW) is one of Planet Ark’s flagship campaigns and every year aims to educate and empower people to do the right thing when they’re at the bin.

Since the campaign was established in 1996, we have held it every year during the second week of November. This year, NRW will be from 11 - 17 November, 2024.

Our education also focuses on the waste hierarchy – reduce, reuse, recycle - to minimise strain on finite resources.

We connect with individuals, community groups, schools, businesses and government to provide them with the all the tools they need to help educate their network and run their own National Recycling Week events.

Whether you work at a council or school, are part of a community group, or would like to get your household or workplace involved, there are many ways to get involved.

Click the links for more information on how to get involved at home, work, school and in the community. 

For infographics, social media content and other resources head to the Resource Hub. 

Why do we need National Recycling Week?

Recycling can be confusing, especially since China’s effective ban on recycling imports and media coverage about the “waste crisis”. To ensure recycling is sustainable in Australia, Planet Ark aims to increase trust in recycling and help Australians recycle correctly. 

Engaging Australians on the importance of closing the recycling loop by buying products made with recycled content is also key to creating a sustainable future. We need to rethink our waste and see it as a resource that can be turned into new products. By keeping these materials in circulation for as long as possible, this benefits the environment by reducing the extraction of virgin materials for new products, as well as the water and energy it takes to make them.