Planet Ark

Planet Ark Environmental Foundation is an Australian environmental organisation established in 1992. It works with public bodies, businesses, schools, councils and households to encourage practical changes in the way resources are consumed, reused and managed. Its principal areas of attention have included recycling, low-carbon living, responsible purchasing, sustainable materials and connection with nature. The organisation began as Ark Australia, founded by Paul Klymenko, Peter Shenstone and former Ark UK member Jon Dee. At the time, kerbside recycling in Australia was still developing and accessible environmental information was limited. An early commission to produce 300 “Save the Planet” videos featuring prominent celebrities helped raise the organisation’s profile, and it subsequently became known as Planet Ark. Planet Ark has generally presented itself as non-political and non-confrontational. Rather than relying primarily on campaigning against governments or companies, it has sought to form partnerships and provide practical tools that make environmental action easier. Its activities have included public-awareness campaigns, recycling directories, educational programs, product-related initiatives and large community events. Its best-known initiatives include National Tree Day, National Recycling Week and Cartridges 4 Planet Ark. National Tree Day, launched in 1996 with Olivia Newton-John, developed into a major Australian community tree-planting and nature-care event. National Recycling Week provides an annual focus for recycling education among schools, workplaces, councils and the public. Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, conducted with recycling company Close the Loop and major printer-cartridge manufacturers, created a national collection route for used printer cartridges. The organisation has also developed or supported information services such as RecyclingNearYou.com.au, which helps Australians identify recycling services provided by councils, and BusinessRecycling.com.au, which lists recycling options for commercial materials. Other initiatives have promoted recycled-content products, responsibly sourced timber and clearer packaging-recycling information, including the Australasian Recycling Label developed with Green Chip and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation. Planet Ark has at times extended its work into consumer products and commercial endorsements. In the 1990s it released Aware Laundry Powder and later promoted recycled toilet tissue, using these products to demonstrate that everyday goods could be produced with reduced environmental impact. Its broader model has involved working with commercial partners and endorsing products or services that it considers consistent with environmental objectives. The organisation’s campaigns have been supported by public figures including Olivia Newton-John, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Irwin, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Jamie Durie and others. Environmentalist Rebecca Gilling has been identified as Planet Ark’s official spokesperson, while a wider group of ambassadors has represented particular initiatives. Planet Ark has also faced criticism. Its Make it Wood program and involvement in discussions around the Australian Forestry Standard attracted objections from environmental campaigners and public figures who questioned the organisation’s relationship with the timber industry and raised potential conflict-of-interest concerns. Planet Ark responded by explaining its position and stating that it recommended responsibly sourced wood, including products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council where appropriate. In May 2025, Planet Ark was placed in voluntary administration. The available reference material does not establish whether the organisation subsequently resumed normal operations, completed a restructuring or ceased activities, so its current status remains uncertain.

Planet Ark originated in 1992 as Ark Australia, founded by Paul Klymenko, Peter Shenstone and Jon Dee, who had previously been associated with Ark UK. The organisation was created during a period when recycling infrastructure and public environmental information in Australia were less developed than they are today. Its early work included the production of a large series of “Save the Planet” videos involving high-profile personalities. This public-facing work helped establish the Planet Ark name and shaped its later emphasis on understandable, practical environmental communication. During the 1990s, Planet Ark expanded beyond media and awareness work into consumer behavior, recycling and community participation. It introduced Aware Laundry Powder in 1994 to demonstrate that cleaning products could be marketed with a reduced reliance on heavy chemical formulations. It also promoted toilet tissue made from 100 percent recycled material. These initiatives reflected a wider strategy of connecting environmental ideas with ordinary purchasing decisions rather than treating sustainability as a specialist concern. National Tree Day was established in 1996 in association with Olivia Newton-John. It became one of the organisation’s most visible public programs and developed into a large annual event involving tree planting, habitat improvement and other forms of nature care across Australia. The event’s reported 2014 peak involved almost 300,000 participants across more than 4,000 sites and events. Planet Ark also built a major annual recycling platform through National Recycling Week, which brought schools, workplaces, councils and households together around recycling education. Its Schools Recycle Right Challenge attracted more than 70,000 children in 2013, according to the reference material. The organisation’s recycling work broadened through collection campaigns and digital information services. Cartridges 4 Planet Ark was developed with Close the Loop and six major cartridge manufacturers: Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta and Kyocera. By 2017, the program was reported to have diverted more than 30 million printer cartridges from landfill, with the participating system described as achieving zero waste to landfill. Earlier or related programs included Cards 4 Planet Ark, Phones for Planet Ark and recycling initiatives for steel and aluminium cans. Planet Ark subsequently developed online tools intended to address the practical difficulty of finding suitable recycling services. RecyclingNearYou.com.au provides information about services offered by councils around Australia, while BusinessRecycling.com.au focuses on workplace and commercial recycling and lists options for a broad range of materials. These services extended Planet Ark’s role from public advocacy into information infrastructure for households, businesses and local government. The organisation also pursued resource-efficiency initiatives beyond conventional recycling. Make it Australian Recycled, developed with Australian Paper, encouraged consumers to purchase goods containing recycled materials. Make it Wood promoted the use of responsibly sourced timber in construction and other applications. Planet Ark worked with Green Chip and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation on the Australasian Recycling Label, intended to give consumers more consistent information about whether packaging components could be recycled. Planet Ark’s partnership model brought it into contact with commercial producers, industry groups, public agencies and celebrity supporters. This approach helped give its campaigns broad visibility but also created debate about independence and environmental standards. Make it Wood attracted criticism from Jon Dee, Pat Cash, Nick Xenophon and Christine Milne over the organisation’s relationship with the timber industry and its involvement in the Australian Forestry Standard. Critics raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest and about the relative standing of the Australian standard compared with international certification systems. Planet Ark responded by explaining its position and stating that it recommended responsibly sourced timber, including Forest Stewardship Council-certified products. By the 2020s, Planet Ark remained associated with recycling information, tree planting, sustainability education and practical resource-use campaigns. In May 2025, it entered voluntary administration. The available material does not specify the reasons for that step or the organisation’s final legal and operational outcome. Its status is therefore recorded as unknown rather than definitively active or defunct.

• 2025

  Voluntary administration

  [1]Planet Arken.wikipedia.org

  Planet Ark was placed in voluntary administration in May 2025.

• 2017

  Cartridges 4 Planet Ark passes 30 million diverted cartridges

  [1]Planet Arken.wikipedia.org

  The cartridge-recycling partnership was reported to have diverted more than 30 million used cartridges from landfill by 2017.

• 2014

  National Tree Day reaches reported participation peak

  [1]Planet Arken.wikipedia.org

  The 2014 National Tree Day was reported as the event’s largest year, with almost 300,000 participants across more than 4,000 sites and events.

• 2013

  Schools Recycle Right Challenge participation

  [1]Planet Arken.wikipedia.org

  More than 70,000 children were reported to have participated in the Schools Recycle Right Challenge.

• 1996

  National Tree Day established

  [1]Planet Arken.wikipedia.org

  Planet Ark founded National Tree Day with Olivia Newton-John, creating a recurring national tree-planting and nature-care event.

• 1994

  Aware Laundry Powder introduced

  [1]Planet Arken.wikipedia.org

  Planet Ark released Aware Laundry Powder as an example of a consumer cleaning product promoted with a reduced chemical formulation.

• 1992

  Ark Australia founded

  [1]Planet Arken.wikipedia.org

  Paul Klymenko, Peter Shenstone and Jon Dee founded Ark Australia, the organisation that became known as Planet Ark.

A practical, partnership-oriented environmental organisation that translates sustainability goals into accessible actions for households, schools, workplaces, councils and businesses.

• Consumer cleaning product · 1994

  Aware Laundry Powder

  A laundry detergent range released by Planet Ark in 1994 to demonstrate that cleaning products could be effective without a heavy chemical composition. It represented an early attempt to connect the organisation’s environmental messaging with an everyday household purchase.

• Recycled consumer product

  Recycled toilet tissue

  Planet Ark promoted toilet tissue made from 100 percent recycled material as part of its effort to encourage consumers to choose products with recycled content and lower reliance on virgin resources.

• Recycling information service

  RecyclingNearYou.com.au

  An online directory of recycling services offered by councils throughout Australia. It is intended to help households identify where different materials can be recycled, including materials that require dedicated collection schemes rather than standard kerbside bins.

• Business recycling information service

  BusinessRecycling.com.au

  A service designed to help workplaces and businesses locate recycling options for a wide range of materials. The directory covers materials from aluminium cans and packaging to batteries and fly ash and was supported by the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority.

• Packaging information standard

  Australasian Recycling Label

  A standardized packaging label developed by Planet Ark and Green Chip with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation. It was designed to provide clearer guidance about the recyclability of packaging components and help consumers make more informed disposal decisions.

• 1996National Tree Day

  Australia

  An annual community tree-planting and nature-care event founded with Olivia Newton-John. It encourages volunteers, schools, councils and community groups to plant trees and undertake local habitat-care activities.

  Outcome. The event became one of Australia’s largest community environmental programs. The 2014 edition was reported to involve almost 300,000 people across more than 4,000 sites and events.

  Source
• National Recycling Week

  Australia

  An annual education and engagement program for schools, workplaces, councils and the public focused on the benefits and practical requirements of recycling.

  Outcome. The program became a recurring national focus for recycling behavior and education. Its Schools Recycle Right Challenge was reported to have involved more than 70,000 children in 2013.

  Source
• Cartridges 4 Planet Ark

  Australia

  A cartridge-collection and recycling partnership between Planet Ark, Close the Loop and Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta and Kyocera.

  Outcome. More than 30 million cartridges were reported to have been diverted from landfill by 2017, with the program described as achieving zero waste to landfill.

  Source
• Cards 4 Planet Ark

  Australia

  A historical Planet Ark campaign promoting the collection and recycling of unwanted cards.

  Source
• Phones for Planet Ark

  Australia

  A historical campaign focused on encouraging the recovery and recycling of unwanted mobile phones.

  Source
• Make it Australian Recycled

  Australia

  A partnership with Australian Paper promoting the purchase of Australian consumer goods made with recycled materials.

  Source
• Make it Wood

  Australia

  A campaign encouraging consumers and businesses to use responsibly sourced timber, particularly as a building material.

  Outcome. The campaign generated public criticism concerning Planet Ark’s relationship with the timber industry and its involvement in the Australian Forestry Standard. Planet Ark explained its position and stated that it recommended responsibly sourced wood, including FSC-certified products.

  Source

• 2025

  Entry into voluntary administrationOther

  Background

  Planet Ark was placed in voluntary administration in May 2025. The available source does not state the reasons, financial figures or subsequent outcome.

  Action taken

  The organisation entered the Australian voluntary-administration process.

  Aftermath

  The organisation’s later operational and legal status is not established by the available material.

  Source

1. 1Planet Arken.wikipedia.org
2. 2Planet Ark official websiteplanetark.org