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Recycling needed

In the modern world, the problem of garbage is becoming more and more global, reaching even uninhabited places. How to properly handle garbage, so as not to at least exacerbate the problem, we told in the article " Proper waste management ". First of all, you need to stop buying unnecessary and optional things, as well as reduce the consumption of products that are harmful to the environment and create non-degradable waste in nature (before buying, evaluate what you will do with the packaging or the item itself after use, whether you can properly dispose of it). In no case should the remaining garbage be thrown into the trash can - it must be sorted and sent for reuse: some things can be given a second life if they are updated or find a new use, other things can be given to those who need them, and food waste can be used as compost or for pet food. Those items that remain (in addition to organic waste) must be recycled. There are a number of good reasons for this:

1. The resources of the planet are limited and rapidly running out.
2. Garbage occupies more and more space of the Earth. Most of it releases toxins that are dangerous to all life forms.
3. A significant part of the garbage left in nature is not subject to decay in the coming centuries.
4. Burning garbage is a crime against ourselves, as it is a highly toxic process that releases dangerous compounds into the atmosphere, leading to numerous diseases, mutations and the greenhouse effect.
5. Recycled items require less energy to produce than new materials.

Separate waste collection

So, to start separate waste collection:

1. Find out what recycling is accepted in your city. To do this, you can use the Greenpeace map with all recycling points in Russian cities. Also in many cities there are separate bins for different types of waste: in public places, on the streets, in parks, shopping centers. Information about them can be found on the Internet.
2. Decide on a place in the apartment where the sorted garbage will be temporarily stored: a special part of the kitchen, corridor, balcony, etc.
3. Think of a container in which different types of garbage will be folded. These can be boxes, buckets (there are special ones in IKEA), bags, bags, etc.
4. Assess the existing trash. Use the labels on the packaging and information about the locations available in your area to decide if this waste can be collected and recycled. For example, only labels 1 and 5 are often suitable for plastic recycling.
5. Prepare garbage for delivery to collection points or special bins.

Garbage preparation and disposal

Consider the algorithm of actions for each type of recyclables:

1. Plastic must be rinsed from food stains, dried from moisture and pressed. Remove the caps from the bottles and squeeze them to the minimum volume. Dry and fold bags. It is advisable to remove the stickers, along with the adhesive. Plastic is easy to hand over to collection points, as it is quite light and easy to recycle. At the factory, it is pressed, washed, crushed and turned into granules, from which you can make a lot of things: clothes, household items, stationery, accessories, bags, shoes (see the news from Adidas), etc. We also recommend watching the video " What actually happens to the plastic you throw away .”

2. Glass is the heaviest type of recyclable, but also very popular. Before handing over, the containers must be rinsed, dried, stickers removed and packed in such a way as to avoid cuts (if you hand over cullet). Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled an unlimited number of times without loss of quality. Glass powder is made from it, after which it is possible to produce any container, building and decorative materials, etc.

3. Metal (aluminum, tin). Food packaging (canned food, drink cans, etc.) before delivery to the points must be rinsed from food stains, dried from moisture and compressed. Other scrap is accepted by metallurgical companies - after the metals are remelted, it is again suitable for production.

4. paper since the time of the pioneers, when it was prestigious. In the age of technology, the attention of mankind has focused on something else, so every year we are losing more and more of the planet's forest reserves. According to Greenpeace reports from 2000 to 2013. in the world, only undisturbed forests with an area of ​​more than 148 football fields, which is equal to the area of ​​three Germanys, have disappeared, and restoration is taking place at a much slower pace than is necessary to absorb the results of human activity and maintain a comfortable climate on the planet. That is why recycling is extremely important. Recycling paper must be clean and dry. White paper, cardboard, books and magazines, packages are sorted separately (you can make different sections in one container). It is necessary to remove various foreign materials (files, paper clips, stickers, adhesive tape) and fold everything as tightly as possible (press it in a box or tie it with tape). A variety of household items are produced from waste paper, such as roofing material (roofing and waterproofing material), toilet paper, egg trays, paper bags, packaging paper, etc.

5. Toxic (hazardous) waste should never be among other waste in the trash can. They contain hazardous substances, which, if damaged, cause enormous damage to the natural environment and all living organisms. They must be carefully packed to avoid damage during storage and transportation. Hazardous waste includes batteries, accumulators, chargers, various equipment (with appropriate labeling), energy-saving lamps. Often, battery collection points are located in household appliances stores (for example, in the Eldorado network). Where to hand over the rest of the toxic items, you need to ask separately in your region.

6. Clothing as trash is the result of the accelerated development of the fashion industry and the craze for single-use consumption. In landfills are mountains of clothes, sometimes in quite usable condition. Very often, these clothes are made with toxic materials (brands are only now starting to phase out hazardous substances in their production), using heavy slave labor and producing much more than the required level of consumption. To keep your clothes from ever sinking into summer, they can be updated with decorative elements, donated to those in need if they are still in good condition, or recycled if they are no longer usable. There are enterprises that accept cotton for further production. There are also chain stores (for example, H&M, whose slogan says "Don't let fashion turn into trash") that accept fabric products in any form.

7. Organic waste is the safest type of waste that not only decomposes in the natural environment, but also benefits it. To use organic waste as useful fertilizer, you can purchase a special compost bucket or make a compost pit on your site. If there is nowhere to use compost, you can give it to farms that will find a worthy use for it, or feed it to animals. Getting in bags to a landfill, such waste cannot rot for a long time and give up all its useful properties, because: a) there is no access to the sun and oxygen; b) when mixed with other toxic waste, they themselves become hazardous.

Each of us is able to perform these simple manipulations with the garbage that we ourselves create on the Planet. If you want to live not among garbage dumps, drink clean water, swim in clear seas, breathe fresh air, then it is simply necessary to recycle waste and reduce their amount. From each of us! This is the urgent need of the 21st century as we reap the rewards of the thoughtless actions of the last century. Become aware and sympathetic today, and then we will have a better tomorrow!

May all living beings be happy! 🙂

See also anekdotig:

• Article: " Proper Waste Management ".
• Article: " Mysterious signs on packages: how to figure it out ."

• Photo article: " 7 Days of Garbage in Gregg Segal's Photos ".
• Video: " Peppa Pig recycles waste ."
• Video: " The Story of Things with Annie Leonard ".
• News: " November 15 is World Recycling Day, events will be held in Russia " (November 14, 2015)