This week, two events are taking place on opposite sides of the world. In Türkiye, world leaders are gathering for COP31, the United Nations' annual climate conference, while in Australia, Planet Ark is celebrating 30 years of National Recycling Week.
While these events might seem worlds apart, they share a fundamental goal: building a more sustainable future.
Climate action is often associated with renewable energy, electric vehicles and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. But there is another critical piece of the puzzle that receives far less attention: the way we produce, consume and dispose of the materials that make up our everyday lives.
Research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation shows that transitioning to renewable energy and improving energy efficiency can address around 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The remaining 45 per cent are associated with how we produce goods, materials and food, as well as land management.
This means we cannot address the challenge presented by climate change solely by transitioning to renewable energy. We also need to transform how we use the world's resources.
Beyond recycling: the circular economy
For 30 years, National Recycling Week has helped Australians reduce waste, improve their recycling habits and keep valuable materials out of landfill. Since the campaign began in 1996, recycling has become a normal part of everyday life for millions of Australians.
Kerbside collections are now commonplace, container deposit schemes operate across the country, and an increasing range of products can be recovered through specialised recycling programs. These improvements should be celebrated, but the truth is that recycling is only one part of a much bigger solution that National Recycling Week has evolved to support over the years – a circular economy.
A circular economy aims to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value, and regenerate nature. Rather than following the traditional 'take, make, waste' model, it seeks to keep resources in productive use for as long as possible.
Every product we purchase has an environmental footprint that begins long before it we take it to the check out. The raw materials in each item must be extracted, processed and transported, while energy and resources are consumed throughout manufacturing, distribution and retail.
By reducing unnecessary consumption, designing products to last longer, repairing broken items, sharing and reusing what we already have, and recycling materials when products reach the end of their useful lives, we can cut down on the environmental footprint of the goods we use.
These actions follow the waste hierarchy, which prioritises avoiding and reducing waste before reuse, recycling and disposal. Importantly, each step of the waste hierarchy can also deliver substantial climate benefits, but those at the top of the waste hierarchy (such as refusing, reducing and reusing) have greatest impact.
A major opportunity for Australian climate action
The connection between circularity and climate action is particularly relevant as Australia takes on the role of President of Negotiations at COP31.
Some action towards a circular economy has already begun in Australia, including the 2024 release of the National Circular Economy Framework, which sets an ambition to double the country's circularity by 2035. CSIRO modelling has also suggested that accelerating Australia's transition to a circular economy could add $26 billion to national GDP annually by 2035.
But realising these benefits will require more than improving household recycling rates. It means designing waste out of products and packaging, making repair and reuse easier and more affordable, strengthening product stewardship schemes that hold producers accountable for the materials they place on the market, and investing in infrastructure and markets for recycled materials.
Therefore, we cannot afford to view the movement to a circular economy as simply recycling or waste management strategy. It must be recognised as an important part of Australia's climate response.
Joining the cycle means action for circularity
Improving recycling knowledge and confidence remains essential this National Recycling Week, but the next chapter of our program will also be about helping Australians see the bigger picture. And that bigger picture is the circular economy.
Choosing to repair a broken appliance rather than replace it, buying second-hand, avoiding unnecessary packaging or reducing food waste are all examples of circular thinking in action. Of course, individual action cannot deliver a circular economy alone. Governments and businesses must create the systems that make sustainable choices accessible, affordable and convenient.
As world leaders gather to discuss the future of climate action, National Recycling Week is a timely reminder that building a more sustainable future isn't just about changing where our energy comes from. It's also about changing how we value and use the resources we already have.
National Recycling Week runs from 9–15 November 2026. Schools, workplaces, councils and individuals can get involved through Planet Ark's free educational resources, activities and event guides at nationalrecyclingweek.com.au.