Hold a Swap Party for National Recycling Week

It is that time of year where things are getting a slight tad crazy! Kids are bringing home notes left, right and centre. Work is going to some whole new level as different priorities crash into each other in a mad rush to be done by the end of the year. And the little voice of Christmas is starting to call in our ears. Shops are already all over it. They bring their tinsel out practically the day after Easter, although the taking on of the American celebration we don’t personally celebrate (Halloween), has slowed it down slightly.

I posted recently about starting to plan your Recycled Christmas.  I am going to share tips each week as we get closer to Christmas. This week’s tip ties in with the upcoming National Recycling week from the 11th – 17th November. There is a lot going on during the week which can tie into your Christmas planning and getting ready for the silly season in a super “Recycled Interiors” fashion!

Today’s Recycled Christmas Tip: Hold a Swap Party during National Recycling Week

Get rid of unwanted items to clean out and find new items for gifts!

• Planet Ark is calling on those with a “passion for fashion” (in our case Vintage Fashion!)  to join the National Recycling Week recycling revolution by joining in with The Big Aussie Swap. Participants exchange their goods such as clothes, books, CDs, accessories and sporting equipment for tokens that are then used to ‘purchase’ pre-loved products that have been brought along by others.
• Swap parties not only promote the perks of reuse and recycling, but they’re also a fun and interactive way to refresh your cupboards for free, making them budget-friendly and an environmental alternative to buying new.

“Increasingly we, as individuals and as a community, are becoming more aware of the environmental and financial impact of a throw-away culture,” says Janet Sparrow, Recycling Programs Manager at Planet Ark. “The Big Aussie Swap provides an ideal opportunity to trade unwanted items for something near-new.”

A new Recycling Revolution report, commissioned by Planet Ark ahead of National Recycling Week, illustrates that recycling has begun a revolution in Australia and there are now options to recycle a growing variety of items, including food scraps, electronic waste and clothing.

 

“When we really think about all the resources that go into creating a product, we realise just how valuable they are,” says Sparrow. “Even though we may not use an item anymore, there are plenty of ways we can lengthen its life rather than send it to landfill.”

Australians countrywide are being invited to initiate a Swap Party, and can refer to Planet Ark’s Big Aussie Swap ‘How-To Guide’ for helpful advice on hosting a successful Swap session and useful resources such as invitations, swap tokens and signage.

To find your nearest Big Aussie Swap event,  download Planet Ark’s Big Aussie Swap ‘How-To Guide’ above, or for more information about any of Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week initiatives, visit RecyclingWeek.PlanetArk.org or call the National Recycling Hotline on 1300 733 712.

So get swapping, clear out the cupboards ready for the influx at Christmas and find some lovely pressies, as well as doing something for our planet and your pocket.

More on National Recycling Week next week

Helen xx

National Recycling Week is kindly supported by Associate Sponsors the Australian Packaging Covenant, Century Yuasa and ‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’ and Category Sponsors Mobile Muster and TechCollect.