Care must be taken when recycling is done. A small mistake and our entire work will be useless. Here is a useful guide to avoid the most common mistakes
There is much talk of the recycling, but are you sure to do it correctly? It often happens, in fact, to wonder where to throw a certain refusal, and then perhaps in doubt to make mistakes that could one day prove fatal. By making separate collection in the correct way, on the other hand, the quantity of waste produced can be reduced, that is to say those pollutants that cannot be recycled. Recycling means producing less non-recyclable waste and therefore polluting our planet less, starting from our own home, from our own kitchen. So the question is crucial and of extreme urgency, since even the smallest mistake can slow down or damage the entire recycling process. On the subject, I decided to ask my father for some information, one of the people I know most sensitive about this: from an early age he educated me to respect the environment as a primary value, so much so that at the sea he made me bathe alone after collecting plastic, butts and other waste from the beach. Hoping that they are not news for you, here are the most common mistakes that we have found around the houses, although alas we have to point out that there are some differences between the various municipalities and the different regions, since unfortunately there is still no policy national policy on separate collection.
1. Scontrini: the most common mistake
It is always good to ask for the receipt, but then you have to pay attention to where we throw it. In fact most people tend to throw the receipts on the card; instead it is not like that at all. The receipts are made of chemical paper, so they are to be thrown into the undifferentiated, since it is not possible to recycle it.
2. Broken cups, plates and pieces
Unfortunately, it could happen that you break a cup or a plate. In this case, after collecting the pieces, it is usual to throw them in the glass: wrong! Cups and dishes are made of ceramic and should be taken to recycling, that is the ecological platform closest to home. The same goes for the pyrex glass, the material with which the oven dishes are made. Alternatively, in the case of small quantities, they can be thrown into the undifferentiated.
3. Wax and baking paper
The typical bread bag, the one that also wraps buns and pizzas or other sweets and bakery products, is made of wax paper, the same as the packaging of some cheeses. In all these cases, they must absolutely be thrown into undifferentiated and not into paper, as is often the case. There are also other types of similar bags, made of paper and plastic together: in these cases, care must be taken to separate the two materials well and place them in the appropriate bins. Ditto for baking paper: the name is misleading, but it too should be thrown in the company of wax paper, since both are not recyclable.
4. Pizza cartons: dirty or clean?
Pizza with friends? We hope it was a nice evening, but in the end remember to be careful to check the cartons carefully. If they are clean and do not have the slightest trace of food they can be recycled in the paper; otherwise, if they are dirty or just slightly greasy, they should be thrown into the undifferentiated because the paper, to be differentiated and then recycled, must be perfectly clean.
5. Mussels and clams
As we already told you about the Nieddittas Sardinian mussels, there are a number of complications for the shells, as they constitute a food waste for themselves. On the one hand, in fact, they are considered wet because of animal origin; on the other hand, however, they are made of limestone, and therefore of a material not only non-biodegradable, but also with very long disposal times. For this reason they should be thrown into the undifferentiated, but in some municipalities it is considered wrong, such as in Sardinia, where therefore it is erroneously continued to put them in the damp, given that in the undifferentiated they do not withdraw it precisely. While waiting for the situation to be regularized, a series of experiments are underway to try to recycle the shells in bio-building, especially submarine: the mussel shells could really be an important construction material for tiles and bricks, given the great resistance they have.
6. Napkins and handkerchiefs: are they decorated?
All used and dirty napkins and handkerchiefs, whether food or simply water, should not be thrown into the paper or into the undifferentiated, but into the damp, since they are vegetable fibers. Be careful, however, because they are the exception those decorated with colored prints or similar to the fabric: in this case they must be placed in the undifferentiated.
7. Damned butts
Cigarette butts are among the longest products to dispose of over time; for example did you know that it can take over ten years to disappear altogether? For this reason, they should never be thrown into the compostable, but absolutely into the undifferentiated. The difference is that the ash, as you may already know, is good for some plants and some crops, so much so that in small quantities it can be thrown into the damp. The same is also true for cigars and chewing gum: they go into undifferentiated.
8. What is hard plastic?
Then there is a whole world of plastic known as "hard": kitchen utensils, pens, markers, toys, parts of household appliances and so on. In all these cases it would be necessary, as for broken fragments, to take them to the nearest ecological island, even more if they are bulky. Alternatively you can group smaller objects like pens, and then bring them all together; or leave room for your creativity and recycle them into something else.
9. When in doubt, always clean everything
It may not be a novelty, but unfortunately few people do it: any package that is made of paper, glass or plastic must be thoroughly washed and cleaned before being thrown away. From yogurt to milk, to various cans or jars of sauces and jams.
10. And to finish
Finally, pay attention to the bags: if you have carried out all the information correctly, but then throw the bottles in the glass or the paper in the paper, but inside a plastic bag, the whole job will literally be "thrown away".
For any doubts about recycling, we advise you to consult the Cem Ambiente website.
