Recycle Week 2025: Why Awareness Must Turn Into Action
22nd to 28th September is Recycle Week in the UK, led by WRAP — and it comes at a pivotal moment for global waste and plastics policy.
Just days ago, delegates from 170 countries met in Geneva to continue negotiations on an international plastics treaty. The aim is ambitious but urgent: to keep plastics within a circular economy and prevent them from becoming waste or pollution. Progress was made, but the reality is sobering — it was not nearly enough.
The Reality of Plastics in Our World
At Sitemark, we see first-hand the sheer volume of waste produced across organisations every single day. While materials like paper eventually break down, plastics do not. They linger for decades — in our streets, rivers, food chains, and even our bodies.
Right now, only 9% of plastics are recycled globally. That statistic alone underlines the scale of the challenge we face.
Local Action, Global Impact for Recycle Week 2025
WRAP’s Plastics Pact Network demonstrates that locally driven, globally connected action can work. The Pact is already making progress by:
- Eliminating problematic plastics
- Scaling up reuse models
- Building more circular systems
But as promising as these initiatives are, we need more than pockets of progress. Achieving lasting change requires commitment, coordination, and investment on a worldwide scale.
Why This Matters for Organisations
Our heavy reliance on plastics — and waste in general — has been allowed to grow unchecked for too long. Tackling this problem isn’t just good for the planet. It’s essential for:
- Health → reducing pollutants in our food, water, and air
- Climate → lowering emissions from waste disposal and production
- Future resilience → creating sustainable systems that organisations can rely on
For facilities management leaders, Recycle Week is the perfect opportunity to take stock of current practices and push for better.
Turning Awareness Into Action
This Recycle Week, let’s move beyond awareness and commit to action. Three steps every organisation can take now:
- Audit your waste streams → understand exactly what’s being thrown away and where improvements can be made.
- Challenge your suppliers → ask how they are reducing waste and improving recycling rates.
- Push for better systems → implement processes that make recycling and waste reduction the default, not the exception.
Final Thought about Recycle Week 2025
If we don’t act now, then when?
At Sitemark, our benchmarking work shows that improvements are always possible. We’ve never audited a site without finding ways to reduce waste, cut costs, and improve sustainability. Recycle Week 2025 is a reminder that the time for change is now — and the responsibility lies with all of us. Click to speak to our experts.