And there we are, trusting that all our effort in separating waste and going out two, three or four times to distribute garbage in each container will pay off. And now they tell you that that the garbage that is sorted out for recycling is not being recycled? Is this really true? Are our efforts really in vain? Is it true that all that glitters in terms of recycling is not really gold? Well, there are many aspects that have to be taken into account and that we are going to discover below.
True or false? Everything is being recycled
They insist on the need to recycle but, when it comes to doing so, it is not an easy process. You have to know, before starting, that barely half of the waste generated is recyclable. Of course, it is not a bad figure and that doing this would already be an achievement for the planet. But if you were a person obsessed with recycling, you will probably feel disappointed. However, more and more work is being done so that the chances of recycling are increasing.
Is plastic recycled yes or no?
One of our greatest desires, having become aware of the value of the environment, is to recycle plastic. Yes, it can be recycled, but beware, not everything! In fact, hardly a fraction of all the plastics we throw away can be recovered. The problem is that plastic is usually mixed with other materials, that is, contaminated or accompanied by food and various elements. Thus, the plastic suffers and ends up in landfills.
For plastic to be one hundred percent recyclable, we would have to eliminate other non-plastic materials that accompany it, as well as food remains, among others. That is, plastic is usually contaminated. To recycle it, it has to be clean of non-reusable waste.
For example, a plastic bottle has to be stripped of its label and of the liquid it contains, be it water or soda, milk or alcoholic beverages. Only then can it be deposited in the container for plastics and be suitable to go to the plastic container to continue the recycling chain.
Recycling plastic would be a help to the environment. Because plastic does not disappear, but lasts over time, causing the accumulation of garbage that does not degrade. In addition, the accumulation of plastics causes damage to health and the ecosystem.
Do you want to recycle responsibly? The next time you have plastic on your hands, clean it well before throwing it away. And take them to a recycling container for the material in question. Because plastics can have a second life!