RecycleSmart: Driving Progress Towards the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a comprehensive blueprint designed to guide countries and organisations in creating a more sustainable and equitable world. This agenda is underpinned by 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that cover a wide range of global challenges, from ending poverty to protecting the planet.
At RecycleSmart, we are proud to align our mission and operations with these goals, particularly focusing on the areas of responsible consumption and production, climate action, and sustainable cities and communities.
Here’s how RecycleSmart contributes to the Sustainable Development goals:
Goal 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
As urban populations continue to grow, the challenge of managing waste sustainably becomes ever more critical. RecycleSmart supports the development of sustainable cities and communities by working with local governments, businesses, and community groups to enhance recycling infrastructure and accessibility.
RecycleSmart provides efficient waste management solutions that help reduce the environmental impact of cities. Through our services, such as the collection of tricky-to-recycle items like soft plastics, e-waste, and polystyrene from homes and businesses, we help divert significant amounts of waste from landfills. This reduces the need for landfills and incineration, which contribute to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By promoting responsible waste disposal and recycling, RecycleSmart supports cleaner urban environments, thus directly aligning with the goal of reducing per capita environmental impact through improved municipal waste management.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
One of the core goals of the 2030 Agenda is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. RecycleSmart addresses UN sustainability targets 12.2, 12.4, and 12.5 by promoting sustainable resource management and reducing waste generation through its innovative recycling services.
Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
RecycleSmart's efforts to efficiently manage natural resources by collecting hard-to-recycle materials, such as soft plastics, clothes, e-waste, batteries and more. We ensure to the best of our abilities that they are diverted from landfills and repurposed.
Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimise their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
For target 12.4, RecycleSmart helps manage resources safely throughout their lifecycle by partnering with businesses and communities to recycle materials that would otherwise contribute to environmental contamination. By reducing the release of harmful substances into air, water, and soil, we mitigate their negative impact on human health and the environment.
Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
In alignment with target 12.5, RecycleSmart significantly reduces waste generation through its focus on recycling and reuse initiatives, encouraging individuals and businesses to adopt more sustainable consumption patterns through our social media, as well as partnering with organisations that reuse items as well as recycle.
Target 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
Through our initiatives, including the Power Pickup service and partnerships with businesses like OzHarvest and Comsol, we engage individuals and organisations in understanding how recycling and waste reduction directly contribute to reducing the environmental impact. By making recycling more accessible and educating the public about the importance of diverting valuable resources from landfills, RecycleSmart enhances community knowledge on the connections between waste management and climate change. This focus on awareness and practical action empowers both individuals and institutions to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Recycling plays a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the need for new resource extraction and lowering energy consumption. RecycleSmart contributes to climate action by diverting waste from landfills, where decomposition produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Collecting tricky items not only reduces waste but also mitigate the carbon emissions associated with producing new materials. Every kilogram of waste we divert from landfills is a step towards reducing our collective carbon footprint and taking action against climate change, in line with SDG 13.
Conclusion:
At RecycleSmart, our mission is closely aligned with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. By making recycling accessible, convenient, and effective, we contribute to a more sustainable world. We are committed to empowering individuals, businesses, and communities to adopt responsible consumption habits, build sustainable cities, and take meaningful climate action. As we continue to expand our services and partnerships, our aim is to play a vital role in achieving the SDGs by 2030.
