Sorting waste and recycling

Remember the importance of sorting

Did you know that bio-waste put into mixed waste could fuel 80 000 gas cars for a year? Or that cardboard fibre can be reused up to 25 times, glass can be recycled indefinitely and metals from used batteries can be used as raw materials for fertilisers? Sorting and reducing waste is an environmental act. The more people sort, the greater the impact we collectively have on the environment!

Tips for recycling at home

At home, it's a good idea to buy recycling bins according to the recycling facilities in your household and according to the waste that accumulates most in your household. At the very least, housing associations have recycling facilities for organic waste, paper and mixed waste. A home recycling point does not have to be in the kitchen. A paper recycling bin can be in the living room, for example, and a glass recycling bin on the balcony. The most important thing is that the recycling bins are practical, and fit the needs of your home.

Sort at least bio-waste

Sorting bio-waste reduces the amount of mixed waste and thus the amount of waste going to landfill. It is also worth remembering that the less mixed waste you generate, the lower your waste disposal costs. In landfills, bio-waste is rich in methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. When biowaste is treated properly, there are fewer harmful emissions. Bio-waste can also often be recycled in different ways. Biogas can be used to generate electricity and heat or further processed into fuel, and composting can produce nutrient-rich mulch.

You can put in a bio-waste bin:

- Fruit and vegetable peelings

- Food scraps

- Coffee and tea grounds, tea bags and filter papers

- Egg cartons

- Tissue papers such as kitchen towels, napkins and handkerchiefs

- Solidified fats

- Fish carcasses and bones

- Plant parts and wilted flowers

- Wood-based pet bedding such as chews and pellets

- Small amounts of brushing waste

Plastic collection

All packaging plastics are accepted for plastic collection. Plastic packaging emptied from the kitchen and bathroom is included in plastic recycling. Recycled plastic should also be clean. Do not stack different types of plastic tightly together, they are processed and separated by machine.

Paper collection or cardboard collection?

All paper, such as advertising mail delivered to your home, is accepted for paper collection. Cardboard product packaging for commercial purchases is included in the collection cardboard. All clean and dry paper material can always be recycled. Remember to flatten the packaging and place them inside each other for recycling. By sorting your recyclable paper correctly, you save the environment and money. Recovered paper and cardboard is an important raw material for industry, which can be used to save wood. Gift wrapping paper is mixed waste because it contains printing inks, tapes and labels, or the paper is made of foil/aluminium and cannot be used as a raw material for new paper.

You can put in the paper bin:

- Newspapers and magazines (staples do not need to be removed)

- Advertising mail

- Recycled paper

- All envelopes

- All coloured and white copy and printing paper

- Product catalogues

- Softcover books

- White paper bags

You can put in the cardboard bin:

- Corrugated cardboard

- Cardboard cans, e.g. milk and juice cans with plastic caps

- Cardboard containers for dry goods, such as cereal and biscuit packets

- Paper bags and sacks

- Pizza boxes and egg cages

- Cardboard disposable containers

- Toilet and kitchen roll liners

- Plastic coated wrapping papers

- Carton multipacks for beverages

Hazardous or hazardous waste

Hazardous waste can cause significant harm to health or the environment if incorrectly sorted. All products marked with a warning label are hazardous waste. Care should be taken with paints, adhesives, varnishes, disinfectants and cleaning products. So always take hazardous waste to the appropriate collection points. Expired medicines, needles and syringes should be returned to the pharmacy. Recycling points in public areas have collection bins for energy-saving light bulbs and fluorescent tubes. The poles of batteries and accumulators should be taped before taking them to the collection point. If you recycle electronics, you can find out where to collect them online in your local area.