How to Separate Waste Correctly to Minimise Your Environmental Impact

06 Jul How to Separate Waste Correctly to Minimise Your Environmental Impact

Properly separating waste is a fundamental practice to reduce our impact on the environment. Here are some golden rules that will help you efficiently separate your waste:

1. Rinse the Waste: Before disposing of any item, it’s important to wash it properly. This not only helps to avoid unpleasant odours but also facilitates recycling processes at plants. Additionally, consider reusing water used for washing dishes or other used napkins.

2. Simplify Containers: You don’t need a large number of containers to separate waste. A simple rule is to classify waste into dry and wet categories. You can use one container for papers, cans, plastics, and glass, and another for organic and wet waste.

3. Composting: Food scraps, commonly considered wet waste, represent a significant portion of our waste and contribute to methane gas production, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting is an excellent solution for these waste materials, thus reducing our environmental footprint.

4. Preserve Paper Intact: When disposing of paper, avoid crumpling it. Keeping paper in good condition increases its value for recycling, as the fibres remain intact. It’s also important to separate paper from other waste and avoid mixing it with materials that may contaminate it.

5. Non-Recyclable Paper Types: It’s important to note that not all types of paper are recyclable. Avoid disposing of laminated papers, dirty napkins or toilet paper, carbon paper, receipts, tickets, and papers with glue in the recycling bin.

Recyclable Materials:

– Paper and Cardboard: Boxes, envelopes, magazines, newspapers, leaflets, tetra pack containers.

– Plastics: Bottles, caps, sachets, jerry cans, wrappers, disposable tableware.

– Metals: Canned goods, beverage cans, deodorants, keys.

– Glass: Unbroken bottles and jars.

By following these simple rules, you’ll significantly contribute to waste reduction and environmental preservation. Do your part and separate your waste responsibly!