Each year, Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity has used up all the natural resources that the Earth is able regenerate in that year. This day falls on 01 August 2024 this year – a date that is both striking and alarming at the same time. It clearly shows that humans are living way beyond the capacities of our planet and are consuming more natural resources than can be regenerated within a year. Germany’s Overshoot Day was on 02 May this year.
What is Earth Overshoot Day?
Earth Overshoot Day is a symbolic date that is calculated by the Global Footprint Network. It marks the date when humanity’s demand on nature’s resources exceeds the Earth’s capacity to regenerate these resources. For the rest of the year, we are effectively living ‘on credit’ – i.e. we are removing more from our planet than it is able to sustainably renew.
The role of recycling
One way to move the date of Earth Overshoot Day so that it falls later in the year is to drive forward recycling. Effective recycling reduces the consumption of virgin raw materials and minimises volumes of waste. This is where the work of companies like REMONDIS comes into play as they have been playing a key role in the circular economy for many years now.
Spearheading recycling and the recovery of recyclable raw materials
REMONDIS is one of the leading recycling and waste management companies. With sustainability and resource conservation at the heart of its operations, the company works on transforming waste into valuable recycled raw materials. Thanks to its innovative technologies and processes, REMONDIS plays a major role in preserving the lifespan of our natural resources and moving the date of Earth Overshoot Day.
Examples of REMONDIS’ successful recycling projects
1. Recovering raw materials from e-waste
REMONDIS recycles old electrical appliances, such as fridges, and recovers the ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics and other materials. These recycled raw materials can then be reused to make new appliances, helping to reduce the demand for virgin raw materials.
2. Recycling paper and plastic
By recycling paper and plastic, REMONDIS helps to preserve woodland and reduce the pollution of our environment and our seas, oceans and waterways, in particular pollution caused by microplastics. The recycled materials are returned to market so they can be used to make new products and packaging material – closing the loop and conserving natural resources.
3. Recycling biowaste
Organic waste is processed at REMONDIS to produce compost and biogas. This work supports farmers by providing them with nutrient-rich compost and supplies renewable energy, which can be used instead of fossil fuels.
The future of recycling and its importance for Earth Overshoot Day
The advances being made in the recycling sector are encouraging but – and this is something that cannot be denied – there is still much to be done. We are doing everything in our power to continuously develop new technologies and processes in order to make recycling more efficient and more effective. REMONDIS is also looking to make people more aware of the importance of recycling by taking part in information campaigns and entering into partnerships with local authorities and private sector businesses.
One factor that will be key for the future will be to close as many material life cycles as possible. If the efforts being made enable waste to be fully recycled and returned to production cycles for reuse, then humanity can gradually push back Earth Overshoot Day year on year so that it falls on a later date each time. For this to happen, however, we need to rethink and redesign products – the keywords here being ‘Design for Recycling’. It is essential that the different materials can be separated from each other as this is the only way for them to be successfully recycled. Each and every person can already make a contribution today by improving their own habits and those of the people around them as well as by choosing sustainable products.
Conclusion
Earth Overshoot Day is a reminder that our current rate of consumption is unsustainable. We can, however, play a key role in lowering our consumption of natural resources and moving back the date of Earth Overshoot Day by carrying out effective recycling operations to recover and recycle raw materials for reuse. Sustainability is not only a global challenge – it is also an opportunity for all of us to work together to shape the future of our planet.
Image credits: image 1: Shutterstock: Delpixel; image 2: Shutterstock: LIAL; image 3: Adobe Stock: Miquel; image 4: Adobe Stock: domnitsky; image 5: © REMONDIS
