Celebrate National Recycling Week- Key takeaways from our latest webinar
Preparing for National Recycling Week
Our recent webinar, “Rethink resource use-Pre- National Recycling Week Guide,” featured insights from industry leaders and councils on overcoming recycling challenges and promoting sustainable practices. If you missed the session or need a recap, here are the key takeaways that can help improve recycling in your community or organization.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
RecycleSmart
Eugenie Alonzo from RecycleSmart kicked off the webinar by discussing the importance of National Recycling Week (NRW), which has been held annually from November 11-17 since 1996 and was founded by Planet Ark to promote better recycling habits across Australia. She shared concerning stats, such as only 13% of soft plastics and 7% of textile waste being recycled, and highlighted challenges like confusion over recyclables, low recycling rates (60%), and contamination.
Eugenie emphasized RecycleSmart's role in making recycling easier for businesses and councils, offering services like convenient collections, tailored recycling packages, and support for community events. She encouraged attendees to assess and improve their recycling systems during NRW, with RecycleSmart providing free consultations, resources, and tracking tools to measure impact.
She concluded with a call to action: set recycling goals for 2025, engage employees and communities, and make sustainability a year-round effort. RecycleSmart’s services help businesses and councils drive positive change, with over 1,000,000 kg of waste diverted from landfills so far and counting!
Guest Speakers
Melinda Norman from Eurobodalla Shire Council
Melinda Norman from Eurobodalla Shire Council shared how the council proactively addressed the soft plastics diversion issue after RedCycle's collapse in 2022. With the national soft plastics recycling system in flux, Eurobodalla decided to act swiftly, seeking a sustainable solution rather than waiting for uncertain trials. They collaborated with RecycleSmart to implement a collection program that utilizes effective processes for soft plastics into reusable materials.
Melinda highlighted the council's collaborative approach to rolling out the program, which involved delivering 240L bins at three waste facilities, launching a media campaign, and engaging the community through clear messaging. The program received positive feedback from residents, many of whom had stockpiled soft plastics in anticipation of a solution. To further expand the initiative, the council reached out to community groups and local associations, successfully adding new collection points in partnership with local groups like the Potato Point and Bodalla associations. A notable outcome of the initiative was the successful diversion of 1.24 tonnes of soft plastics within just three months, alongside more than 100 visits to the council’s dedicated soft plastics webpage during the trial period. As the program grows, the council is confident that more soft plastics will be diverted from landfill, benefiting the community and the environment.
Tracey Pryor from the Australian Bedding Stewardship
Tracey discussed the urgent need for a national mattress recycling scheme, as mattresses have been identified by the federal government as a problematic waste stream. With approximately 1.8 million mattresses disposed of annually in Australia, Tracey emphasized that this figure may actually be higher, as waste managers often lack reliable data. The ABSC's goal is to reduce end-of-life mattresses in landfills by establishing a national network of mattress recyclers. However, mattress recycling remains a high-cost, low-return operation due to the labor-intensive process and the lack of viable markets for many recovered materials. Currently, 100% mattress recycling isn't possible, as some materials have little value or can't be reused.
Tracey outlined a two-pronged approach to mattress recycling: physical dismantling, particularly through social enterprises, to maximize material recovery and evaluate mattresses for refurbishment, and shredding for those too contaminated to process safely. She highlighted several challenges, including the lack of end-use markets for recovered materials, the undercharging or free disposal practices by some councils, and the cheaper alternative of landfill. Tracey stressed the need to expand the network of mattress recyclers and work with the industry to design more recyclable mattresses, reduce overconsumption, and create new markets for recovered materials. She also pointed out the potential of social enterprises to provide employment opportunities while addressing the mattress disposal problem.
Zoe Sin from The Cookware Company
Zoe Sin from The Cookware Company shared the company’s impressive journey as a global leader in sustainable housewares. Since its founding in 2005, The Cookware Company has been dedicated to producing PFAS-free cookware to address the growing environmental concerns surrounding "forever chemicals." Zoe highlighted the company’s breakthrough innovation with Thermolon, the world’s first NSF-certified ceramic non-stick coating company, which was launched in 2007. This commitment to sustainability has remained at the heart of their mission, with a focus on product design, waste management, and reducing their global carbon footprint in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Zoe also discussed the company’s successful consumer engagement efforts, including incentives for recycling old cookware with RecycleSmart, which helps promote a circular economy. Many customers have embraced these sustainability initiatives, particularly the use of recycled materials and PFAS-free coatings, which they associate with a safer, more environmentally responsible lifestyle. In addition to offering Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certified products and pans with detachable handles to reduce waste, The Cookware Company continues to innovate and meet growing global regulations on PFAS. Zoe’s presentation emphasized the company’s ongoing commitment to enhancing recycling outcomes, supporting a low-carbon future, and driving positive change within the cookware industry.
Watch the full webinar recording
We encourage you to watch the full webinar recording below to hear more on these topics and hear directly from our expert guest speakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK_ZvnXx5qQ.