Contents
Why is garbage segregation necessary? How to properly sort waste for recycling? How to properly organize this process? And, of course, how to learn to recognize all these types of plastic, paper and hazardous waste? Let’s talk as clearly and in detail as possible.
Advantages of separate waste collection
The advantages of collecting, separating and further processing waste are obvious to most residents of Western countries and, fortunately, are gradually finding their audience in Russia as well. Separate waste collection technologies reduce the number of landfills, reduce the unrestrained consumption of resources, save the environment and increase the level of eco-consciousness and responsibility for the planet.
You can read more about the history of the garbage problem, how to solve it, the benefits and goals of separate waste disposal in our article “Separate and help: why is separate waste collection necessary?”
How to start sorting garbage
It is best to start with the implementation of a simple and understandable scheme for how to sort garbage at home:
Find out how garbage collection is organized in your city. Separate containers for secondary raw materials and mixed (non-recyclable) waste are widespread in Moscow and other large cities. If this system has not yet reached your city, find the nearest recycling center and find out what types of waste they accept.
Start separating your trash and only collect the types of waste that you can regularly recycle.
Organize a convenient system for storing sorted garbage (we will tell you how to do this below).
Get in the habit of immediately rinsing, drying and reducing the amount of collected recyclables.
Regularly take the collected waste to special containers or collection points.
These simple rules for sorting waste will allow you to conveniently and efficiently separate and collect waste without disturbing the usual family life.
How to sort garbage at home
Below we will describe in detail how to sort waste for separate collection in order to prepare it for further processing as efficiently as possible, what main groups it can be divided into, what can and cannot be handed over in each of the categories.
Plastic
This is the most voluminous and intimidating category for beginners. The types of plastic sound like a periodic table, the nuances of the collection are frightening, the benefits seem doubtful … We tell as accessible as possible.
Plastic that can be handed over fairly easily
What is the name?
PET, plastic marked 01, PET – polyethylene terephthalate.
HDPE, plastic marked 02, HDPE – low pressure plastic.
How does it look?
These are the two most common types of plastic in our country:
PET (01): bottles for drinks and products, containers for household chemicals.
HDPE (02): bottles, canisters, watering cans, flower pots, most packing bags and T-shirt bags.
Reception Features
PET and HDPE food packaging can be handed over almost everywhere – both in city recycling containers and at collection points. Containers from household chemicals and other non-food products in Moscow can be thrown into recycling containers, in other cities it is better to find out in advance at which points they are ready to accept them.
How to prepare trash
HDPE and PET packaging do not require special preparation – just remove the shrink sticker (it is not glued, but fits the entire bottle). Conventional labels, lids and rings do not need to be removed; it is better to squeeze the container before throwing it away, reducing it in volume.
Plastic that is rarely accepted
What is the name?
PVC, plastic marked 03, PVC – polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl.
LDPE, plastic marked 04, LDPE – high pressure soft plastic.
PP, plastic marked 05, PP – polypropylene.
PS, plastic marked 06, PS – polystyrene.
Other plastics and composite materials, marking 07, Other.
How does it look?
PVC (03): pipes, film for stretch ceilings, electrical insulation of wires and cables, artificial leather, linoleum.
LDPE (04): various types of film (stretch, pimply, greenhouse) and soft “oily” (not rustling) bags.
PP (05): disposable cups, bags, packaging film (the one that crunches and tears, but does not stretch), wrappers for chocolates and bars, pipes, containers.
PS (06): “soft” disposable cups, packaging for fruits and vegetables, packaging foam.
Other plastics (07): all other plastic waste from the category of MSW (municipal solid waste) that occurs during human life.
Reception Features
There is a myth that plastic of these types cannot be handed over, since there are no opportunities for its processing in Russia. This is not so – there are processing enterprises, they just prefer to work with waste from industrial production, warehouses and shops. This provides them with a guaranteed volume of raw materials and a homogeneous composition of waste.
Ordinary residents need to either look for volunteer organizations that accept plastic labeled 04, 05 and 06 for sorting waste (03 and 07 are not accepted almost anywhere), or throw it into unsorted garbage.
Wastepaper
These are all types of paper and cardboard suitable for recycling and further use.
Waste paper that can be handed over quite easily:
Cardboard and corrugated board.
Books, magazines, newspapers, advertising spam.
Office paper (possible with printing or inscriptions), notebooks, drawings, paper packaging.
Paper scraps from a shredder (preferably in bags or boxes).
How to prepare garbage?
Free the waste paper from plastic and metal elements (you can leave the staples from the stapler), put them in tight piles and put them in a box, or bandage them.
Waste paper that is not accepted everywhere
Tetrapacks – packages for juice and dairy products (Moscow residents can check the presence of the corresponding sign on containers for recyclables – some Moscow operators accept tetrapacks).
How to prepare such garbage?
Fold as compactly as possible, rinse the tetra packs, remove the caps.
Waste paper that is not accepted for recycling
Egg cassettes and analogues.
Toilet paper rolls.
Checks.
Grease and oil paper, as well as drawings with oil paints.
Paper towels and napkins.
Laminated, parchment, waxed paper.
Fax paper, photo paper.
Wallpaper.
Glass
It is one of the most environmentally friendly materials for packaging – glass can be completely recycled.
Glass containers that can be handed over quite easily
bottles;
Banks;
bubbles.
How to prepare garbage?
Rinse the glass containers and remove the lids before handing over. Labels do not need to be removed.
Glass that is accepted with restrictions
Such garbage is accepted only in some points, it is impossible to throw it into containers:
cullet;
Sheet (window) glass.
Glass not accepted for recycling
Crockery (glass and ceramic plates, mugs, glasses, goblets).
Crystal.
Optics (lenses, glasses).
Light bulbs.
Covers for kitchen utensils.
Mirrors.
Metal
Basically, tin products are accepted for processing: clean cans and metal lids. If you can cut or compress them without risk to yourself, do it at the stage of sorting garbage at home.
More complex metal objects – including gas cylinders, fire extinguishers, etc. – are accepted only in rare specialized points, they cannot be thrown into recyclable containers.
Aluminum
We deliberately took it out separately from the rest of the metal, since aluminum is the most environmentally friendly material. It is suitable for complete processing and does not lose its properties when repeated secondary cycles. This allows you to significantly save resources for the production of new aluminum and significantly reduces the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
Aluminum cans are accepted for recycling almost everywhere, which are enough to rinse and squeeze. Other types of aluminum waste: foil, tubes, disposable containers and molds are rarely accepted.
Hazardous waste
Even if there are no recycling programs in your area or you are just starting to understand the sorting of waste by type and have not yet started separate waste collection, remember that the items from the list below should never be thrown into the general bins!
What is hazardous waste?
Mercury thermometers and lamps.
Batteries and accumulators.
Remaining drugs.
Household chemicals, paint, solvents.
Car tires, oil, washer fluids and other consumables.
Reception Features
These types of waste are subject to special disposal and are handed over to specialized collection points in order to avoid their entry into general landfills.
Textile, clothing, footwear
These types of household waste should not be thrown into recycling bins, but many companies accept clothing for recycling or for charitable purposes. The rules for preparation and lists of things allowed for reception must be requested directly at the collection point.
Food waste
They are not sortable and are not accepted for recycling, although they represent a significant part of everyday garbage. Food waste must either be composted (this luxury is available to residents of country houses), or shredded using special disposal devices (installed under the sink and connected to the public sewer).
There are other ways to treat food waste in urban areas: composting with worms or microbial preparations, drying or freezing. However, all of them are quite difficult to implement and are more of an auxiliary than a system solution.
How to sort garbage and store it in the apartment
The organization of the storage of sorted waste is one of the main factors why residents of city apartments do not dare to start sorting waste at home. This process seems to require a lot of storage space.
We hasten to dispel these myths and offer several proven methods and ideas:
For normal sorting, it is enough to put two additional containers: a basket for plastic, glass and metal, as well as a box for collecting paper and cardboard. Convenient containers can be purchased at home improvement stores, or just use a regular bucket.
Additional collection points can be placed under the sink (if you can take out the sorted garbage regularly), and on the balcony or in the utility closet (if you get out to the reception point quite rarely).
For maximum convenience, you can place a small dryer in the working area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe kitchen for plastic and glass containers, where they will dry after rinsing and before being sent to the appropriate basket.
We advise you to immediately compress, cut or press the collected waste to minimize the space occupied. Garbage for further processing must be dry and clean – so that unpleasant odors should also not arise.
For the disposal of food waste, it is best to install a special chopper (disposer). At the moment, this is the most optimal and environmentally friendly way to get rid of food waste in urban areas.
If there is a city container for collecting recyclables near your home, then sorted garbage can be taken out as it accumulates and fills the baskets. If you need to take it to a collection point, it makes sense to accumulate waste until the maximum possible volume is reached, or to unite with neighbors.
We hope that we have told you as clearly and in detail as possible how to start sorting garbage at home, and you will take our methods into service. Let’s make the planet a little cleaner and freer together!