Written By Chloe Davey, Transforming Lives Trainee
As we enter September we become more aware of the changes that Autumn brings. Colourful leaves will fall to the ground as our animal friends will be busy preparing for Winter. It’s important to be aware that many critters will start collecting and storing food, however there may be items that they come across that can be harmful: bottles, cans, you name it! Many people forget to recycle their items once they’ve finished using them so, between the 19th and 25th of this month, Recycle Week encourages recycling for wildlife and the general health of our planet.
Did you know that recycling has been encouraged for many years, it was especially prominent during the late 1700’s with the construction of railroads and infrastructure. As we move along in time, the concern for recycling seems to have slowly dwindled. Thankfully, in 2015, Recycle Week was created in hopes of increasing people’s awareness of the importance of recycling. Recycling has an enormous impact on protecting our environment to make it a better, healthier place to live. This includes saving millions of trees, water, energy and other natural resources.
There are also many ways you can participate and help support others in recycling too. It is important to know what can be recycled, this would include: newspapers, magazines, aluminium cans, cardboard boxes and plastic bottles. Depending on where you live, green/blue bins are the designated bins specifically made for recyclable objects, you may even have one or two at home. Social media is also such a powerful tool to help inspire and influence others. You can post pictures or videos of yourself recycling with your friends and family, or if you are a little camera shy, you can post facts about the importance and benefits of recycling instead.
To quote Dr. Seuss’ Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”