Working It Out At Officeworks

Date: 30-Jun-16
Author: Brad Gray

The Australian Recycling Label takes the confusion out of recycling © Rebecca Gredley

The Australian Recycling Label takes the confusion out of recycling

How often have you opened the pack on a new purchase only to stand at the bin wondering which component of the pack goes in the recycling and which in the garbage? Which bin does the box go in? The tray? The plastic bag?

Planet Ark’s new Australian Recycling Label is starting to appear in stores and has been designed to answer these exact questions.    

Australians are great recyclers with more than 90% of households recycling the paper and packaging they use at home. Over 64% of all packaging is recycled with the rest going to landfill. Confusion is one of the main reasons recyclables end up in the garbage and contaminants, like plastic bags, end up in the recycling. 

Clear and Easy Instructions

The Label gives clear and easy instructions for all components of a pack and Officeworks was the first company in Australia to start using it. Whether you are buying a box of pens, a pack of manilla folders or a carton of office paper, the label will tell you exactly what to do with each component of the item’s pack.

The Label is made up of a frame containing the name of each component and the widely recognised mobius loop. A black loop indicates the component is recyclable, while a loop with a bar though it indicates that component goes into the garbage.

Next time you’re at Officeworks keep an eye out for more than 50 products that already display the label. Lok-Man Shu, their National Sustainability Manager says, “the Label allows us to give our customers accurate recycling information that is easy to understand. Our customers want to recycle and this is another way we can make it very easy for them”.

For more information on the Australian Recycling Label (ARL) please visit arl.org.au

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Brad Gray
Author: Brad Gray Brad was Planet Ark's Head of Campaigns for 10 years. He trained and worked as a history and geography teacher before moving into the health education sector for 14 years. With a strong passion for human environments, Brad started with Planet Ark in 2007 as Recycling Programs Manager.

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