Every household should separate waste nowadays for the sake of the environment. However, very few people know how to properly distinguish between types of waste, what belongs in which bin, and what happens to the waste after disposal. It is important to separate waste correctly, on the one hand to save money and on the other to support the environment.
Where does which glass belong?
Of course, waste glass belongs in the designated containers that can be found in every city and village. However, the glass should be sorted by color. Therefore, make sure that white, green, and brown glass are disposed of in the correct color category. Throw the glass into the predetermined containers and thus help the sorting facilities. They have to laboriously sort out incorrectly thrown-in glass – this costs money and, of course, energy.
Which glass should definitely not go into a glass container?
Light bulbs, window glass, mirrors of any kind, and drinking glasses have no place in the glass collection container – they have a different melting point than beverage bottles and must therefore be disposed of with residual waste or bulky waste.
But what do I do with blue or other colored glass? If you cannot assign a glass to a color, play it safe and throw it into the container for green glass. In contrast to white glass, a smaller color difference is noticeable during the recycling of green glass.
What happens to the waste glass?
Old glass is often used in road construction. Using a special process, granulate can be obtained from old glass, which is mixed with road marking paint. Once the paint has dried, the glass granulate reflects the headlights at night, making it easier for the driver to see the road boundaries.
What belongs in the yellow bag?
Of course, we know that sales packaging made of plastic, Styrofoam, aluminum, tubes, foils, as well as composite materials and plastic belong in the yellow bag or the yellow bin. Residual waste, cardboard, paper, or even waste glass absolutely do not belong here.
Why does the Green Dot exist?
In the past, everything really ended up in the residual waste without exception. The mountains of trash were correspondingly immense. People thought about how to reduce waste. Residual waste naturally remained residual waste – because who can still make use of dirty diapers and similar refuse. Waste that cannot be reused is therefore burned – however, recyclable materials, as we find them in the yellow bag, can be reused. The packaging is sorted by material – for example, after some time, plenty of old plastic can actually be turned into a new office chair or similar office furniture.
Cups do not need to be rinsed out!
Every child knows that only completely emptied cans and cups belong in the yellow bin. This is correct – however, you don't have to overdo it and wash out pickle jars or fish cans. This would only mean more energy and water consumption.
What belongs in the waste paper bin?
Magazines, cardboard, and paper find their place in the waste paper bin. Old tissues, household towels, as well as wallpaper or baking paper are out of place here and should go into the residual waste. Remove insulation materials such as Styrofoam from old boxes and also dispose of adhesive materials – for example, recycled toilet paper can be made from waste paper.
What about the organic waste bin?
More and more households are getting an organic waste bin. However, most people do not know exactly what does NOT belong in the organic waste. This includes
- cooked food scraps such as meat, sausage, and roast
- Fish
- soups and sauces
- old frying fat
- meat bones.
These food scraps primarily attract flies and vermin or even rats. Therefore, these foods should rather be put in the residual waste, which is disposed of more frequently. To prevent old organic waste from sticking to the bottom of the bin, it is best to line the bottom with a thick layer of old newspaper or leaves.
What happens to our organic waste?
The waste is first cleared of foreign substances, then enters intensive composting, where it reaches post-rotting after a week. From there, it is sieved into different grain sizes and is now available to nurseries and landscaping.
Read also:Â Instructions for a compost heap
Photo by Janine, meinhaushalt.at
