What is recycled and what is not?

What is recycling?

Recycling garbage is a process that helps reduce pollution and that consists of reusing elements and materials that, instead of becoming waste, can return to their useful life. Best of all, it is an excellent way to help the environment , and we can put it into practice on our own.

Although surely we have already heard a lot about this topic, sometimes we get confused. Or perhaps, has it not happened to you that when throwing something into the colored bins you do not know what is the correct way to do it?

Why is recycling important?

Let's answer this question with some fun facts:

• In Colombia, at least 12 million tons of waste are generated per year , of which only 17% is recycled.
• Plastic bags that reach the ocean kill more than half a million creatures each year.
• Of the total garbage that fits in a bin, more than 60% could be recycled.
• One ton of newspaper is equivalent to 24 trees.
• A glass bottle takes more than 4,000 years to decompose and a plastic bag between 500 and 1,000.
• To make toilet paper, 27,000 trees are cut down every day.
• Aluminum is a material that can be recycled forever, there is no limit to its use.
• Recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to keep a light bulb on for 6 hours.
• Switzerland, Austria and Germany are the countries that recycle the most.

What is recycled?

The first thing to keep in mind is that not everything is garbage, but not everything is recycled . There are some things like food waste that, although they can be used by making humus or homemade compost , are not recyclable like sanitary waste (toilet paper, diapers and others).

Likewise, there are some materials that, if they are highly contaminated, dirty or greasy, cannot be recycled. For example: a cardboard box can be recycled but if it is wet or dirty we lose the opportunity to take advantage of it.

That is why it is important that you keep in mind that if you can recycle some materials that no longer serve you, you must keep them in good condition.

To recycle, there are colored bins that help us differentiate waste, classify garbage and separate garbage at home, dividing it into two: elements that can be recycled and those that cannot. This activity, which is known as source separation, facilitates the work of the people who are responsible for selecting the materials.

You should also keep in mind that of each material there are things that YES are recycled and others that are NOT . For example:

GLASS:

YES: Bottles and jars in general. Much better if they are clean of residue.

NO: Mirrors, window or car glass, plates, light bulbs or medicine vials.

PAPER:

YES: Magazines, newspapers, cardboard boxes and paper in general.

NO: Dirty toilet paper or napkins, laminated paper or carbon paper.

METAL:

YES: Cans, nails, toothpaste tubes, aluminum, copper, wires, etc.

DON'T: Rusty cans and batteries—remember that batteries and batteries are considered electronic waste. In supermarkets you can find special bins to deposit them—.

PLASTIC:

YES: On all containers, usually on the bottom, there is a recycling symbol. If it is marked with a number from 1 to 7, it means that it is recyclable.

NO: Non-biodegradable bags, long life containers, cellophane or plastic wraps, plastics marked with the word "PLA".

Recycling for children: What are the colors of the bins and what is thrown in them?

Currently you can find in almost all places (schools, shopping centers and others) collection points with colored bins. Each one has a function and so that you can memorize it we are going to help you with some keys. If you want to do it at home, the ideal is that you have 3 cans:

• GREEN is usable organic waste: food scraps and agricultural waste
• WHITE is usable waste: plastics, cardboard, glass, paper and metals.
• BLACK is non-usable waste: toilet paper, napkins, paper and cardboard with food.

There are also bins of other colors , such as the yellow one for Styrofoam or the red one for hazardous waste.

There are also other types of waste that are technological , that is, old televisions, printers or damaged appliances. In each city there are companies that are responsible for collecting them, so if you can, every time you go to throw something like this, call one and in this way you will be contributing a grain of sand.

As you can see, recycling is simply about taking a moment and being aware of what we are consuming and what we are throwing away. It's a matter of changing the chip a bit and also teaching others. In this way, if we all make a small change , we greatly benefit planet earth.