3 tips for businesses to buy recycled
Date: 14-Nov-17
Author: Ryan Collins
Derivan staff talking waste and recycling
Sustainable procurement aims to reduce the adverse environmental, social and economic impacts of purchased products and services throughout their entire life cycle. Looking for items made from recycled materials is a big part of this. And with more consumers being more likely to buy products and packaging made with recycled content, we offer 3 simple things businesses can do to start buying recycled.
1. Implement easy changes
Depending on the business, some easy changes may include starting with paper products:
- Switching to 100% Australian recycled offce paper (like Planet Ark Paper) & other paper stationery
- Switching to 100% Australian recycled paper towels and toilet tissue like Naturale
2. Engage & research suppliers
It’s important to begin discussions with your current supplier about sustainability and buying recycled. It may also be handy to identify the key suppliers in the industry who are engaged in sustainability. This is where bodies like
Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) can be particularly useful.
GECA provides rigorous, independent environmental certi cation and standards for products in the form of an ecolabel and one of those standards addresses recycled products. The ecolabel signals that a product is a good environmental choice.
APCO is an initiative focussed on sustainable packaging and aims to change the culture of all businesses to decrease packaging waste and increase recycling rates. APCO also provides resources to help businesses develop sustainable procurement policies in relation to packaging.
3. Establish a ‘buy recycled’ policy
Communication is the key to success, so the next step is to establish a ‘buy recycled’ policy as part of a sustainable procurement strategy. This policy can be used to communicate your commitment to buy recycled content products to suppliers, employees and clients. It is beneficial to ask suppliers to report on the recycled content of
the goods they provide to enable your business to promote this information to clients.
More information
- Check out our full research guide, What Goes Around: Why Buying Recycled Matters
- Explore our Recycled Products List

Ryan is the Recycling Programs Manager at Planet Ark. After nearly a decade working in the banking and finance industry Ryan was drawn to a career in environmental conservation that saw him work in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji. With a background in psychology and environmental management, Ryan’s role at Planet Ark since 2012 has been focused on developing engaging and positive environmental behaviour change programs to help everyone recycle and reduce waste.
Related News:
- Planet Ark endorses Detpak's new coffee cup recycling system »
- Planet Ark announces media partnership with Australian Circular Fashion Conference »
- Important green dates for the 2019 school calendar »
- The new regifting - giving recycled products »
- Brisbane Tool Library takes share economy to the next level »
- Unilever takes steps towards a circular economy »
- Naturale pledges to end recycling labelling confusion »
- New research sheds light on Australian attitudes towards environmental sustainability »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Preloved clothing as your first fashion option »
- Make the Naturale choice at the supermarket »
- Reflections on a Plastic Free July »
- China challenge an opportunity for the Australian recycling industry »
- Packaging industry moves towards better plastic recycling outcomes »
- War on Waste is back! »
- How Cartridges 4 Planet Ark is part of the solution to plastic pollution »
- Planet Ark urges Ipswich Council to reverse decision to send valuable materials to landfill - and the Council agrees »
- Win the war on waste at work! »
- 8 ways to green your 2018 »
- Our green resolutions »
- Office paper flung all over the country »
- Pay it forward and get a recycled bargain on Buy It Back Day »
- Inspiring story: "Charging" up local battery recycling »
- Inspiring story: Making 3D printer parts from e-waste »
- Inspiring story: Building roads from cigarette butts »
- Inspiring story: Creating outdoor furniture from soft plastics »
- Inspiring story: Landscaping a garden bed from printer cartridges »
- There's still time for a Fling »
- The missing piece of the recycling puzzle »
- We're bursting with ideas, events and activities to share with you for National Recycling Week »
- Why buying it back is good for business and the environment »
- What's so special about Naturale? »
- Take the Schools Recycle Right Challenge »
- Sunshine Coast sisters launch Australian-first sustainability project »
- What do Smiths, Kathmandu and Jurlique have in common? »
- Keep on recycling »
- Going plastic free: what does it take? »
- Free child car seat recycling trial »
- The Positive Results of the War on Waste »
- Australia's First Rescued Food Supermarket is a Win-win for the Planet and Those in Need. »
- Do you print on 100% recycled office paper? Epson does! »
- 14 Items You Can Recycle - But Probably Aren't (Part One) »
- Architecture Students and Refugees Build a Timber Community Centre for a Refugee Camp in Mannheim, Germany. »
- Australia's Tallest Engineered Timber Building to be Built in Brisbane »
- Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to Feature a Wooden Arena »
- Spotted Gum and Ironbark Feature in ICC Sydney »
- Construction to Commence on the Otago Polytechnic Student Village »
- WoodTek Headquarters - Taiwan's First CLT Building »
- Two More Wood Encouragement Policies Introduced in Western Australia »
- Kaikoura District Council Building Survives Major Earthquake Unscathed »
- Construction Commences on a 10-storey CLT Luxury Retirement Village in Sydney »
- Get Crafty this Christmas »
- National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life Launched »
- Low Carbon Football Stadium Made of Sustainably Sourced Wood »
- Planet Ark Launches 100% Recycled Office Paper »
- Planet Ark Launches 100% Recycled Office Paper »
- Win a YEAR'S SUPPLY of Naturale Toilet Tissue »
- Taking Shape - South Australia's First Timber Apartment Building »
- Canada Tops Out World's Tallest Wood-Frame Building »
- Post Back Your Post Packs »
- 5 Photos You Can Take to Help the Environment »
- Marist College, Bendigo Wins Sustainability Category in the 2016 Australian Timber Design Awards »
- New Nelson Airport to Showcase Engineered Wood »
- Construction Milestone for World's Tallest Mass Timber Building »
- East Gippsland Shire Council Adopts a Wood Encouragement Policy »
- Landmark Timber Skyscraper to be Built in Amsterdam »
- Community Garden Transformation Competition 2016 »
- Using Timber to Assist in the Transition to a Low Carbon Economy - A UN Report »
- First Shipment of CLT Arrives in Campbelltown »
- Community Garden Competition »
- Official Opening of the Centre for Future Timber Structures at UQ »
- Adding Trees - A Prescription for Health, Happiness and Fulfilment »
- Come and Join us at SEE Sustainable Experience »
- Keeping Warm for the Planet »
- World's Tallest Mass Timber Building Is Underway In Vancouver »
- Who Made the Top Ten Cartridge Recyclers »
- Cash For Containers In NSW - It Pays To Recycle »
- 57m Tall Timber Building Wins Competition In France »
- Fashionable Questions - Who Made Your Clothes and Where Do They End Up? »
- Maleny Wood Expo 20th Anniversary »
- Does Timber High-Rise Equal High Risk? »
- Four Eyes For Recycling »
- Norwegian Project Breaks Tall Wood Building Record »
- 2015 Australian Timber Design Award »
- New Code Allows for Eight-Storey Timber Buildings »
- Change Accelerates 'Wood First' Policies »
- Discount Tickets for 'dirtgirl's get grubby the musical' at the Opera House »
- Drink Coffee? Take our Coffee Recycling Survey »
- Re-Wrap It Up »
- What's In a Label? »
- Is it Gold For Australia? »
- Make Recycling at Work, Work »
- Let the Flings Begin »
- Recycling Role Models »
- Inspiring Performers »
- Help Save Safe Toilet Paper! »
- Planet Ark's new packaging tool a finalist in Banksia Sustainability Awards »
- Garage Sale Trailing Right Around Australia »
- Awake to the Fun of Recycling »
- Declutter Your Office E-waste for FREE »
- Power Tool Battery Recycling Pilot Launches in Brisbane »
- Reduce Your Pet's Paw Print »
- One House, Four Hours, Four Tonnes of Recycling »
- The art of upcycling »
- Clean Clothes for Sensitive Souls »
- PREP For Better Recycling »
- Turning Trash Into Treasure »
- Wood - A Growing Answer to Climate Change »