8 Recycling Mistakes You Might Be Making

Brazil produces about 61 million tons of waste per year, according to the 2010 Solid Waste Panorama. The study was conducted by the Brazilian Association of Public Cleaning and Special Waste Companies, Abrelpe, four years ago, but shows that the amount of waste disposed of by the population is quite high.

The survey also reveals that the states that harbor large metropolises are the ones that produce more garbage. São Paulo generates about 57 thousand tons per day and Rio de Janeiro generates 21 thousand tons per day.

But what if instead of throwing it all away, some of that volume of waste was reused? Waste would be less and the environment would suffer less from problems generated by poor use of food or objects made of plastic, paper, etc.

João da Cruz Filho, sales manager of the Reciclar Institute, argues that even though recycling is relevant not only for the environmental issue. Besides the environmental factor, there is also the economic and the social. Recycling has transformed the lives of many communities, in many cases becoming a source of income for many families.

Recycling is more than necessary these days, but it may not be that easy. After all, there are many materials that are discarded by Brazilian families and when trying to start the recycling process, they may be making mistakes. The entity's expert states why mistakes still occur. "By sheer ignorance and lack of information." He also explains that the disposal of contaminated products is quite common among the mistakes made.

Read also: Useful recycling ideas for home decorating

There are other slips that may occur. Before you get your hands dirty for your household waste, check out the biggest recycling errors here and learn how to avoid them.

The most common recycling and waste sorting errors

1. Separate the garbage incorrectly

One of the most important steps in recycling is sorting the waste. Waste separation facilitates the work of those who live on it, such as waste pickers, garbage collectors, and waste recycling organizations. If there is selective collection in your neighborhood, even better. This way, there will be a correct destination for all types of discarded material.

2. Separate only organic waste

Many people think that not mixing food with the rest of the waste is enough, but the work of separating waste is much more than that. This is a process that deserves attention. Paper, aluminum, batteries, plastic and leftover food should be in different bags. Also, be careful not to discard with them some items that cannot be recycled, such as those containing toxic substances.

Read also: How to have a sustainable home

3. Dispose of electronics in ordinary waste

In just over a year, a mobile phone may already be obsolete. New models are emerging all the time and electronics are increasingly disposable. The need to buy is becoming more and more common and thus it becomes a habit to accumulate mobile phones, notebooks and old desktop computers at home. But it is wrong to think that when doing a cleaning at home, just gather the accumulated objects and throw them in the trash.

It is estimated that in Brazil only 2% of cell phones are destined for recycling, which causes damage to the environment. But it is already possible to change this scenario. There are projects and Non-Governmental Organizations that meet this demand.

There is even a program from the Ministry of Communications, which receives old computers for digital inclusion actions. Devices can be received at so-called Computer Reconditioning Centers. Also, there are a number of companies that do this type of garbage collection. You can also check to see if the company from which you purchased the device can get it back. Many already provide this service.

4. Do not separate different types of glass

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Glasses have different compositions. Transparent cups and jars are not the same as porcelain, mirrors and lamps. When these items break or you simply decide to throw them away, separate first what is translucent glass and what is not. This facilitates the work of those who depend on recycling.

5. Leave sharp objects unprotected

One thing is certain: you will not be the last person to touch this trash. Waste pickers, sweepers, people in extreme poverty and even animals can turn their waste around, whether looking for food, objects for their own use or for recycling.So protect them with cardboard boxes or roll up sharps that have been discarded, such as shards of glass, knives, blades, and any other sharp materials that might hurt someone?

6. Throw away dirty packaging

No use, if the packaging is dirty it will be more difficult and time consuming to recycle it. Pizza boxes and other food stores, with trio of fast food snacks, get greasy from the food they carry. This type of material should be disregarded and the rest washed.

Also read: 5 Benefits of Do It Yourself for your life

7. Separate shredded paper for recycling

Shredded paper is often harder to recycle than paper in its normal size. This is because machines that do the work of reusing used paper cannot capture such small sizes. So if you have paper in your home, you don't have to cut it, just separate it from other products that you will throw away and deliver to the companies that usually do this work in your area.

8. Believe that all trash is recyclable.

Not everything that no longer deserves more space indoors is recyclable. Often paper is separated into a bag, but right there are different types of paper. Many can be reused and others not. Here are some wastes that cannot be recycled:

• Paint cans, aerosol cans, pesticide cans and the like;
• Carbon paper, cellophane, greased or siliconized packaging;
• Greasy paper, photographs, CDs and DVDs, x-ray examinations;
• Bags of cement and other building materials, pan handles;
• Medicine ampoules, car windows, crystals, mirrors, lamps.

As you can see, recycling is not just about separating materials like paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, metal and organic waste. It is a whole chain that involves people, companies and the public power. It's a process that depends on a lot of people, including you.

Recycle, why? Know good reasons to practice

The environment is known to be grateful when people adhere to recycling. After all, only plastic takes up to 400 years to decompose. Glass can last thousands of years to fulfill all stages of deterioration. And aluminum takes about 600 years to return to its natural form. If these items are not trashed but reused, nature is spared some trouble and so is man.

João da Cruz reinforces why reuse should be adopted. ? The volume of waste in large cities is increasing, so recycling is so important. Besides, is there the economic value it can generate? He also confirms that the recycling habit is a cultural one. The more Brazilians strive to be part of this movement, the more it will become natural for the population.

With collective effort it would be much easier to save the environment and help to extend the life of objects that are acquired by the population. But not everyone has this kind of awareness. According to Franciele de Jesus, from the company Ecoassist, which specializes in waste disposal and collection, not even the government encourages selective collection. Only 14% of the population has access to Selective Collection. There are few homes that receive the door-to-door system, and who wants to dispose properly should find the nearest collection point ?, he explained.

Franciele also reports that there are cases where the trash is too large, such as sofas and furniture. In these cases you need to resort to specific solutions, such as contacting companies that specialize in these services. Or find out if the municipal government collects rubble through public urban cleaning companies.

If you still need reasons to start recycling, here are some more.

• For the environment: After all, global warming is not happening for nothing. The more products are used, the less will be needed to produce more and end the planet's resources. Intelligent use of what is available in nature is the solution.

• For the economy: Using something more than once generates savings in natural resources but also in financial resources. A housewife who uses food peels to produce more food for the family can save money at the end of the month. By producing handicrafts with plastic items like PET bottles or even credit cards that have expired, you can add even more value to the product and resell it.

• For the social question: There are many people who survive from picking up trash. When the garbage is not separated they do this work and collectives or companies, can recycle or give a good destination to what is discarded by the population. In some cases, recycling even helps people in other fields of life. The Reciclar Institute, for example, makes reuse help disadvantaged young people find new opportunities for citizenship, education and learning.

Video: How to separate trash for separate collection

Check out the instructions in the following video to make the right selection for each type of recyclable and non-recyclable waste. Thus, you make life easier for those who live on recycling and collaborate with the environment and the economy.

Now you know what to do to recycle and what are the main rules to start being part of this process. Do not throw away, reuse! Thus you will do the planet a great good.

Common Recycling Mistakes with Carney's Waste Systems (May 2024)