While many of us take small steps each day to reduce, reuse, and recycle, it’s always more fun to share your goals with friends, family, and the community at large. That’s why America Recycles Day is such an innovative way to do good things for our environment. This holiday, which occurs this year on November 15th, has made it easy to join the effort to do big things with individual efforts. Here’s what you should know about taking part!
How to Join
First, taking part is free – and easy! Simply visit the official website to view dozens of ways you can make a difference. You can opt to:
- Create an event for your city or neighborhood. By registering your event, it will appear on the website so that others near you can find it and join. You’ll get access to a virtual online toolkit filled with materials, activity ideas, and ways to get involved in your school or civic groups – as well as what you can do to be active in legislative actions.
(If November 15th doesn’t work for you, don’t worry. Many organizers have opted for another day. America Recycles Day is held throughout November and December at days and times that work best for individual groups.)
- Sign up for an event. Use the “Attend an Event” tab to find the closest organized event in your area. There are currently almost 3,000 individual events across the nation, including shoe drop-offs, crayon recycling, shredding opportunities, and city-wide cleanups! Many communities have more than a handful of events to attend, so be sure to mark your calendars to get the most opportunities to help out!
- Take the pledge. Whether you organize an event or attend one, everyone can pledge to do more for the planet year-round. Join over 75,000 individuals who have promised to improve the rate of recycling – which is currently at just over 34%. The pledge requires you to learn what recycling opportunities are available in your area, commit to recycling more (as well as buy more products made from recycled materials), and share your pledge experience with at least one friend or family member.
The Future of Recycling
Keep America Beautiful is behind the event, and the group already does so much good to help improve access to recycling programs and park and neighborhood cleanup resources. Its rich history of equipping groups with educational materials and the tools needed to stop littering and improve waste awareness makes them the perfect partner for America Recycles Day. The event is also sponsored by a few corporate partners, including The Carton Council, H&M, the International Bottled Water Association, Keurig/Doctor Pepper, American Chemistry Council, and Northrup Grumman.
The holiday is a simple way to brush up on your recycling knowledge, learn what’s new in your community, and set realistic goals for improving your recycling efforts. Even those who are very familiar with recycling have a lot to learn. (Do you know what to do with your batteries? Shampoo bottles? Old computers?)
Currently, the range of activities has been impressive! Up to 55% of participants have pledged to recycle more bottles and caps, while 19% are doing better with unwanted mail. As the program grows, and more become involved, the percentage of regular recyclers will increase, and we’ll see less waste in our landfills.
Will you be there?