March 18 is World Recycling Day!

Today, environmental preservation is strongly encouraged. That’s why many professionals are starting to mobilize to leave a better world for the next generation. With this in mind, waste reduction and recycling have become a necessity for professionals and private individuals alike. To raise public awareness and provide information, March 18 has been named “World Recycling Day”. Zoom in on this not-to-be-missed day!

Why dedicate a world day to recycling?

The best way to adopt the zero waste concept is to recycle materials that have already been used. This recycling process, whether for waste derived from products used in households or from factories, has two objectives: to preserve the environment and to promote the various alternatives that play in favor of sustainable development. This is how “Recycling Day” was born in the USA in 1994, with the aim of promoting the consumption of products made from recycled materials.

Twenty-four years later, in 2018, the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has decided to make March 18 a day dedicated to recycling. This BIR initiative then spread worldwide. In France, the Fédération professionnelle des entreprises de recyclage (FEDEREC) runs an annual awareness campaign in honor of this day dedicated to waste recovery.

March 18: a special day to promote good habits

On March 18, this day honoring recycling and the small gestures associated with “zero waste” targets young people and adults alike. As a reminder, France first supported recycling campaigns in 1993, long before a dedicated World Recycling Day was proclaimed.

Even today, the country continues to mobilize households and businesses to considerably limit the use of non-recyclable products. On January 11, 2022, together with the French Ministry of Ecological Transition,Ademe (Agence de l’environnement et de la maîtrise de l’énergie) decided to launch the famous campaign known as #thegoodhabits . It’s important to know that this campaign focuses on the 3Rs of sustainable development.

The first R, for Reduce is designed to encourage more responsible consumption that respects the environment. The second R, for Reuse aims to promote the reuse of materials, which leads to the third R: Recycle. The basic idea behind the 3Rs is to considerably reduce waste in order to preserve natural resources. World Recycling Day encourages people to sort, recycle and recover waste.

How do you recycle and sort waste?

Furniture, bedding, textiles, batteries, medicines, electrical products and even electronics can all be recycled. Depending on their condition, you can either drop them off at a public recycling center or donate them to a charity. They will then be recovered and repaired to give them a new lease of life.

💡 Did you know that recycling is a great way to get your creative juices flowing?

Many of the objects lying around in your garages are also entitled to a second chance. Pallets, for example, can be transformed into a pretty garden lounge with a baroque style. Tires make excellent planters. It was with this in mind that the anti-waste law was born.

Why an anti-waste law?

The anti-waste law aims to promote a circular economy. The latter honors a service that provides better information for citizens. This law focuses on five key areas: encouraging people to stop using disposable plastic, providing consumers with the best possible information on product use and recycling, limiting waste as much as possible, and optimizing solidarity-based re-use. Finally, the law also includes measures against programmed obsolescence, to improve production.

Measures have already been taken to support these 5 axes, such as the ban on the use of certain single-use plastic products. The roll-out of info-tri signage and the introduction of the reparability index are also among the measures introduced. The anti-waste law has also been introduced to reduce food waste.

💡 Did you know that around 20 kg of food is thrown away by a single person in the course of a year? According to Ademe, almost 10 million tonnes of food end up in landfill sites in France every year.

Freshopp, the solution to food waste

To apply the “zero waste” concept, you can start by avoiding food waste. How? With a focus on stores like Freshopp, which has decided to save foodstuffs fit for consumption. In our boutiques, you’ll find boxes made up of selected fresh products of excellent nutritional quality. With Freshopp, on the one hand you contribute to responsible consumption, on the other you discover the pleasure of enjoying food that comes from direct producers.

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