• Demarcation of waste - simple information
• How to properly separate waste fractions
• Metals and materials artificial
• Paper
• Glass
• Does it make sense to separate waste?
• Waste demarcation - tips
• It is best to read labels in the store
• Sources

Our planet is drowning in garbage, and quoting any statistics here is already superfluous. We produce a huge amount of waste, and over time it will be difficult to even dream of eliminating it completely. But what about us? We can dream and even continue to implement it. Recycling is effective and repeated. Segregation can be a hassle, but it's annoying. Yes, because... where do we throw away receipts? Do we wash boxes after yogurt? Does sorting garbage even make sense? We'll try to answer these and other questions about segregation ourselves in this article.

Demarcation of waste - simple information

Since 2017, the JSSO (Unified Waste Separation System) has been in effect in Poland. This means that throughout the country there is a classification into mixed waste and four main types of waste: blue (paper), yellow (manufactured metals and plastics), green (glass) and brown (biodegradable waste). Glasses can be sorted into colored glass (green bins) and colorless (white bins). The specific rules for when and how the waste is exported depend on the individual recipient of the waste - you can direct any questions, inquiries or complaints to these companies and the municipality. Perhaps there are no colored bins at your place of residence. If your municipality hasn't replaced them yet, it's important to consider it in the near future, and that will be until June 30, 2022.

How to properly separate waste – fractions

Organic or biodegradable waste is the kind you compost. This includes other waste such as vegetables, fruit and all other plants, food scraps, including mussels, coffee grounds from coffee and tea, and broken, untreated wood and bioplastics. Brown containers are not the only ones you can find, but you can find earth and stones, edible oils, no dust, or anything that could rot, such as meat. You definitely shouldn't find plastic in there, so if you want to, put your waste in a bag; it must be paper or specially marked as compostable.

Metals and materials artificial

Metals and artificial materials probably don't cause any major problems, but it's worth remembering a few basic rules. Bottles and containers, including multi-material packaging (like Tetra Pak, ie. milk and juice cartons), are empty but don't need to be washed or rinsed. They occupy themselves. This company processes waste, so no sense of double waste. This itself uses dirty foil. Aluminum - without hesitation you can throw in yellow containers, but don't place over there packaging for drugs, plastic toys or containers for paints and varnishes.

Paper

Clear paper under virtually any number should be blue. It can't be mixed up with any kind of trash, whether it's greasy or dirty, so leftover food utensils and pizza boxes should be thrown in the trash. This also applies to coffee cups, but for a different reason—they're covered in polyethylene. Don't throw it in blue containers, but instead throw it away with trash that's mixed with paper, receipts, coffee filters, paper towels, and tissues.

Glass

And what shouldn't you throw in the glass container? Mirrors, windows, light bulbs, wax-covered candles, glass glasses, even heat-resistant ceramics, crystals, and porcelain. Such problematic waste can be mixed into a waste container and ideally taken to the nearest selective waste collection point (PSZOK). There, you can also safely get rid of items that you can't put into the above-listed waste collection points. This includes textiles, hazardous waste, such as batteries, thermometers containing mercury, medicines and packaging, and electronic waste.

Does it make sense to separate waste?

"I don't sort because it all ends up in the garbage truck later anyway..." - say those who feel cheated by environmentalists. But the truth is completely different. Individual municipalities plan the removal and segregation of garbage. Depending on where you live, you may not see much of it. Sometimes garbage trucks arrive for one type of waste (e.g. paper) on a particular day of the week, sometimes cars are equipped with special partitions to separate individual waste, and in still other cases garbage is separated into colored bags next to it before being transported to recycling centers. The garbage that is not left over is sorted; that is, the garbage is mixed from the garbage bins and goes to the sorting plant where a complex, partially mechanized process of sorting it into individual fractions takes place. Unfortunately, the majority ends up in landfills because it is not suitable for processing itself, like dirty other waste such as paper. That is why proper sorting of garbage in the home is so important.

Waste demarcation - tips

Reduce the surface area occupied by trash . Shred cans and plastic bottles to separate larger trash. This will make it easier to load up the already burdensome debris.

Not sure? Throw it in a mix. Placing trash in black containers often causes minor damage, as it's likely that you'll be handing it over to the wrong recipient. Don't worry if you don't know something; you don't have to do it all right away.

It is best to read labels in the store

More and more manufacturers are providing information about the material from which packaging is made and its contents, and where to find such used products. Information about this—the material is not suitable for reprocessing, for example, plastic number 5—may be a reason to stop buying and choose the same product from another manufacturer. The fact is that the less plastic there is, the smaller the chance of recycling it. Keep this in mind when buying bars and separately packaged sweets.

Minimize waste. As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. The less waste you generate, the less time you'll waste sorting it out. When shopping, take your own packaging away or choose items that are packaged in three layers of plastic and more, plus a layer of coated cardboard, instead of the newspaper.

Business conscious, mindful ideas for zero waste. Remember that it's precisely we, the consumers, who influence the subsequent decisions of producers.

Sources :

https://naszesmieci.mos.gov.pl/