Let's learn to recycle well

It has not been planetary awareness, nor environmental damage, nor thinking about the future of our children. The only way society has turned its attention to the issue of recycling is because money can be made from it.

Whatever your motivation, recycling is here and it is a learning experience for everyone because we want a clean home, a clean neighborhood, a clean city, a clean country… a clean planet.

Several people have commented that, although they carefully separate recyclable material at home, they have seen the collection truck arrive and mix everything up. What can we do?

While the European Union is leading the way globally, in Latin America it is up to us to make the best effort given the conditions and culture.

Collection systems in Colombia

Recycling currently operates through two main systems: companies dedicated to providing this service and human recyclers.

There are currently companies that are responsible for collecting recyclable material, such as Aseo Capital and Ciudad Limpia, among others, and that also serve the corporate sector.

Street recyclers are the most visible system, there are more than 22,000 in Bogotá and more than 30,000 in the rest of the country according to the RURO (Single Registry of Professional Recyclers). They take the material to intermediate warehouses where they are paid per kilo. From the warehouses, the material goes to large collection centers and from there, to the large companies that reuse the material.

However, everything starts at home, at school, at college. Progress has been too slow, people are still not aware of the importance of separating waste and there is still a lack of information and instruction.

Recycling is already part of the culture in other countries

Perhaps because of the many years I have lived in Europe, I can say that recycling is part of the culture of that society. From the earliest years in schools and kindergartens, children are taught to separate waste.

A truck fitted with a mechanical arm lifts the underground containers and empties the contents (be it plastic, aluminium, white glass bottles or coloured glass) into the truck's spacious container once a week. Recycling points are located throughout the city. This practice has been carried out for about 25 years.

It is not a matter of incorporating this technology in our countries in order to be able to do it well. What I mean is that these plastic bottles, glass containers, paper and aluminum cans do not end up on their own in containers, which are not located at the front door but a couple of blocks away.

It all starts from home

These containers should be separated from one another at home: PET plastic containers should be washed and compressed to avoid unnecessary bulk. Glass containers should be properly rinsed with at least water; aluminum cans should be cleaned of their contents and, if the label can be easily removed, do so. Recyclable paper is clean cardboard paper; magazines with laminated pages or laminated cardboard packaging do not apply. Neither should pizza boxes or cardboard packaging that is dirty.

If we do it consciously, from our home, instilling these practices in everyone who makes up our family nucleus, significant changes can be achieved.

What is not recycled

A few months ago I published an article showing 8 ways to live more ecologically and that give you an idea for replacing materials and habits that do not match the practices that are currently required. Today I complement that information with things that, for the moment, are not recycled.

1. Toilet paper, facial tissues, paper towels, and wet wipes . Although they are made of paper, they are too small to be separated at a recycling center. In addition, they are impregnated with grease, edible residue, mucus, feces, etc., which can contaminate the other recyclable material and cause it all to end up in the landfill.

2. Plastic bags . Technically, they should be plastic bags, but they are not. Because of their structure, plastic bags get stuck in recycling machinery, overloading the work and overheating the machine.

Likewise, many collection centers do not accept plastic bags that contain recyclable material unless they are specified and preferably biodegradable.

3. Shredded paper . The same thing happens with toilet paper and facial tissues, it is too small and blocks recycling machines.

4. Pizza boxes or other grocery boxes . As long as the box remains clean, it can be reused and as long as it does not contaminate the other recyclables in the same bag.

5. Styrofoam . Experts say that styrofoam could take millions of years to decompose (if it ever does). In fact, try to use your own takeout containers if you must eat lunch near your office. One friend has even taken to leaving a small box at the restaurant she orders her lunch from and swapping it for a clean one she returns when her lunch is delivered to her office.

6. Clothes hangers . These are not normally recycled, but laundries are happy to accept them, as is the plastic (if it is in good condition) that protects the clothes they give us.

7. Plastic containers . These containers may be recyclable, depending on their composition and whether they do not have food or other residue in them.

8. Some types of glass . Not all glass is the same and some needs different treatment. Window glass, drinking glasses and mirrors are treated with chemicals that alter their melting temperature. It is best to try to reuse them in some way because broken glass cannot be kept at a collection center as it can hurt workers.

9. Energy-saving light bulbs . These bulbs contain minimal amounts of mercury, so special precautions must be taken to ensure that they do not end up in landfills and eventually in the water. Mercury has very harmful effects on human health and wildlife. Currently, the number of energy-saving light bulbs that are thrown away in regular trash is alarming, but the company Lúmina in Colombia takes care of them. There are collection points in many places, you can go to the page https://lumina.com.co/recolectar/puntos_recoleccion?residencial to find out about them.

10. Plastic toys for children . Toys contain so many different materials that it is difficult to separate them. Fortunately, there is rarely a need to recycle them as they can be inherited. There are several places such as kindergartens, schools and other places that will gladly accept them.

11. Disposable coffee cups . It may sound strange, but if the cups have a wax coating so that the container does not get soaked, it is very difficult to separate the cardboard from the wax and it cannot be recycled. Whenever possible, ask to have it served in a porcelain cup or bring your own.

Tips for recycling better

Although there is a lack of information and support for the true implementation of a recycling culture among citizens, here I share some tips that may be useful to you.

1. When someone puts non-recyclable items in recycling bins or bags, they are contaminating the recyclables that are there and taking away the opportunity to be reused, since they can damage the machines or even reject the entire container at the collection center.

2. Reuse plastic bags. Even if you are using cloth and reusable bags for shopping, etc., plastic bags have most likely found their way into your home. The best thing we can do is try to reuse them as many times as possible before throwing them away.

3. Separate only the PET plastic into individual bags, only the glass containers into another, the aluminum cans into another, and the Tetra-pak into another.

4. Reuse glass bottles. Studies and experts on the subject say that a glass bottle would have to be used 10 times to offset its environmental impact compared to a PET bottle. The truth is that a glass bottle can be used many times before being thrown away and PET is not as good an alternative as we have been led to believe. Read the report from Semana magazine here .

Until a few years ago, marathon sponsors, especially those promoting the fight against breast cancer, gave their participants a bottle of water for the race until several studies have shown that the particles released by this plastic in bottled water are endocrine disruptors and can eventually cause breast cancer ( report ).

5. Wash or rinse containers to be recycled. To ensure that recyclable items reach their destination and are reused, it is a good idea to return them clean. This shows respect and consideration for recyclers and the people who receive our waste at collection centers.

6. There is a debris collection service that you can request by calling 110, here is the link.