How to separate waste, waste by waste

Everything that can be recycled. How to dispose of plastic and expired medications, and what to throw in the unsorted waste. A guide to the correct procedure.

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how to recycle properly
Every waste in its place. The greatest waste of garbage concerns the mistakes we can make with it. collection. It means increasing pollution and dirt (including objects that end up in landfills) and eliminating the possibilities for recycling. Yet doing the differentiated It's not very difficult.

Sometimes, out of haste or confusion, we throw food-soiled receipts or paper in the recycling bin. Even today there are many mistakes that are made when doing the collectionSmall mistakes, of course, but if they weren't made, it would certainly lead to a significant improvement in the quality of the collection, to the benefit of the environment. Generally, you can find the rules on how to separate the materials directly on the bins used for collection, but It is not always easy to understand whether a particular waste should be recycled or thrown away because it cannot be recovered..

Let's see then, step by step, How to avoid common mistakes and save time:

Plastic

Of all the materials that can be recycled, plastic is among those most suitable for complete recycling. Therefore, plenty of room for recycling includes bottles, pasta bags, cleaning product bottles, ice cream tubs, fruit and vegetable crates and nets. yogurt pots and even clear wrappers from croissants and sweets. Do not separate any waste containing organic residues, such as food that could ferment in the bin, or residues of hazardous substances like paints and glues, into plastic waste. Always remember that all containers must be cleaned, emptied and crushedRemove any paper labels and, if using yogurt pots, wash them before placing them in the plastic bag.

Glass

Bottles, glasses, jars, and glass vases should be thrown in the glass bin, where you should also not throw away light bulbs, neon tubes, mirrors, crystal glasses, and Pyrex containers, all materials that must be recycled differently. In this case, too, It is good that the containers are clean and above all empty: do not put full or half-full glass bottles in the bin, even if they are only water.

Menu

For paper and cardboard, you can recycle newspapers, boxes, neatly folded cartons, as well as notebooks, milk cartons, juice cartons, corn flake cartons, and cardboard egg cartons. Don't throw greasy paper, baking paper, or paper plates and cups in the wastepaper bins. Always flatten boxes and compress cartons in order to reduce large packages into small pieces.

waste bins
Image source: Depositphotos

wet

Food leftovers, spoiled food, fruit peelsTea bags and coffee grounds, dried flowers, and paper napkins should be placed in the organic waste bin, which is usually brown. Don't forget to place the materials in tightly closed bags before throwing them away.

Undifferentiated

Greasy and dirty materials, plates and cutlery (which we told you not to recycle with paper), CDs and DVDs, toys, artificial flowers, vacuum cleaner bags, toothbrushes, and video cassettes should instead be thrown directly into the unsorted waste bin, which is the same bin as all other waste that cannot be recycled. Also remember that if ceramic glasses, cups, and plates break, they should not be thrown into the glass bin but into the unsorted waste bin, as they are materials that cannot be recycled.

Bulky waste

Bulky waste such as furniture, mattresses and various household appliances must instead be taken to ecological stationsThe same goes for electronic appliances and devices that require special treatment based on the removal of components that are hazardous to the environment before being sent for correct disposal.

App junker

In Italy, there are 34 different ways to separate waste, which creates a lot of confusion among citizens. These methods can vary from city to city and even from neighborhood to neighborhood. Three researchers from the University of Bologna have thus created the app Junker, active in 1.800 Italian municipalities, with a database of 800 million products. In practice, for each of these products, it is possible to find out its composition and how to recycle it. Junker has been translated into 12 languages.

CTips for recycling properly

In any case, before purchasing a product, always ask yourself if it is truly useful to you, and before sending objects to the recycling bin, ask yourself if they can have a second life:

  • Old clothes and fabrics that you no longer need, after having washed them carefully, you can put them in the appropriate bin, usually yellow in colour.
  • I expired medicines  they must not be thrown in the unsorted waste but in special containers which you can find at pharmacies and local health authorities clinics. Same procedure for the batteries are dead which must be recycled in the containers available in electronics stores.
  • For shopping, use a reusable cotton shopping bag, reuse the boxes as containers and the backs of the sheets of paper to take notes and If you have a garden, try using organic waste as fertilizer.
  • For house cleaning or personal hygiene favor products with refills to reduce the number of containers or try detergents on tap which cost 20 percent less than traditional products.
  • Don't throw away receipts with paperThey are made with thermal paper whose components react to heat, creating problems during recycling. The same applies to chemical fax paper, carbonless paper, and carbonless paper. Dispose of receipts and this type of paper in the general waste bin.
  • PolystyreneAlthough it's not plastic, some municipalities recycle it in the designated bin, while others dispose of it as unsorted waste. In this case, follow your municipality's guidelines.
  • Tetra pakSeparate waste collection for containers made from this material varies from municipality to municipality. In general, try to rinse and crush the containers thoroughly before throwing them away so that no residue remains inside.
  • Aluminum: in this case too, follow the regulations of the municipality where you live and pay attention to any food residues that need to be disposed of.

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