Separating waste correctly – overview and tips for the correct separation of waste

Separating waste correctly – overview and tips for the correct separation of waste

There is rattling in the energy, mene, mist, and box. Regardless of the green, blue, or yellow trash cans, the correct sorting of waste is actually engraved in the DNA. Still, there are a surprising number of mistakes. The Eco-Friendly Packaging gives an overview and provides tips on correct sorting and separation. This is the correct waste separation ABC.

Waste Types: Magnificent Seven

There are seven categories of waste classification.

• Organic Waste
• Waste Paper
• Old Glass
• Packaging Waste
• Electronic Scrap
• Bulky Waste
• Residual Waste

A closer look at the garbage cans by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (DESTATIS) reveals about 38 million tons of household waste each year. It is occurring. When reduced to the number of inhabitants, this is equivalent to 455 kilograms of household waste per inhabitant. Good news: Separately collected waste makes up the majority. Residual waste has almost halved in the last 35 years. Not very good: Almost 40% of the packaging is not a yellow bag, but still the remaining waste. Therefore, instead of recycling, we end up in a waste incinerator plant. “Yes, but not everything is recycled!” Some people will now protest. of course! Still, this package also belongs to the yellow trash can. At least it reduces residual waste. What many don’t know: By purchasing a package, you have already paid for disposal through the yellow trash can.

Some municipalities, such as Dortmund and Unna, are already one step ahead and are using “trash cans” instead of yellow trash cans. Benefits: You can throw everything out of the yellow trash can here, but many would otherwise result in the remaining waste. These include aluminum lamps, rusted nails, old toothbrushes, and broken plastic toys. Experts call this jumble “unwrapped made of the same material.”

Correctly separate waste: Fine if the waste is not properly separated

If the waste is not properly separated, the waste disposal department can refuse to dispose of it. In the worst case, you will be fined. Reason: Since 2015, waste separation has become a general obligation under the Recycling Control Act.

 Penalties for improper sorting of household waste are still relatively low. They are between 10 and 100 euros. The situation is different from illegal waste disposal. Fines of up to € 100,000 can be imposed if household waste or bulky waste is disposed of outside the disposal facility. Illegal dumping is even considered a criminal offence if the waste damages to water, air, and soil. As a result, you will be sentenced to several years in prison.

Five biggest mistakes in separating the garbage

Misunderstanding: All paper is recycled

Pizza boxes, receipts, tickets, bread bags, handkerchiefs… For many, this garbage is a natural waste paper. It is considered that. But far from that!

The remaining waste should be dumped in the remaining Recycle Bin. It cannot be recycled. Some pizza boxes and bread bags also have a stain-repellent coating. Also, it cannot be recycled.

Receipts and tickets are often printed on so-called thermal paper. It is coated with the harmful bisphenol A (BPA). It also belongs to the rest of the trash. Good news: Blue receipts are becoming more and more popular these days. They do not contain bisphenols and are found in recycled paper.

Coated paper such as freezing boxes, stickers, photographs, and baking paper is also included in the residual waste. The coating is insoluble in water and cannot be reprocessed. This also applies to old wallpapers, Styrofoam, and cheese paper.

Uncoated clean paper such as letters, newspapers, magazines, wrapping paper, catalogues, paper bags, and (clean) egg boxes are in the trash can.

Basically, envelopes are also included in recycled paper. However, envelopes with transparent windows need to be cut out. Paper belongs to recycled paper, and transparent film belongs to the remaining waste. Modern waste separation systems can separate these two elements themselves. However, the more properly you separate the trash and put it in the trash, the easier it will be to recycle.

Error: Stack packages to save space

Do not stack food packages such as yogurt pots before discarding them. Please separate the garbage properly. Remove the lid and loosely throw everything in the trash. Reason: The packages go through the sorting system individually. Different materials are automatically separated by the sorting system. However, if they are stacked on top of each other,  the system will not recognise the combination of materials and will remove the product from the recycling process.

Error: Green, brown and white glasses are being poured together again!

To outsiders, the green, brown, and white glass may appear to be remixed when removed. However, the scrap vehicle has separate chambers for different coloured glass. Also important for proper separation of glass waste:

• Blue or another colour glass is contained in a green glass collection container.
• If you forget to unscrew the lid: Easy to remove and recycle using the latest glass sorting system.
• The stone tool bottles are in the yellow trash can, not in the waste glass.
• Throw light bulbs, ceramics, and porcelain in the remaining trash can.
• Broken glass, broken mirrors, and windowpanes are also included in the residual waste.

Waste glass containers are typically intended only for food and beverage packaging, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic containers. Other materials can contaminate waste glass when it melts, making it difficult to recycle the glass.

Misunderstanding: Yellow trash can? Green points only!

 With or without green dots: It doesn’t matter after 2009. All manufacturers must participate in a system for recycling used packages. Therefore, consumers usually need to dispose of their packages through the yellow trash can. This includes plastic, tin, aluminium, and composite packages (such as beverage cartons).

• The package contains everything that fills directly in the store, including coffee, to-go cups, styrofoam boxes, foil, and cheese stand wrapping paper.
• You don’t need to wash the pack, “spoon clean” is enough.

 By the way, the packaging law has been enforced since January 1, 2019. The purpose is to ensure that more packages are recycled. It also aims to encourage people to increase the number of packages they can actually recycle. It’s still unclear if this means waste reduction and will give consumers financial peace of mind.

Error: It’s meat in an organic bottle, right?

Individual “ingredients” are permitted or prohibited, depending on the use of organic waste. Whether fish or meat is allowed depends on the individual community. In some places, frying fat is even allowed to be put in the green trash can. Elsewhere, it is disposed of as residual waste.

Reliable information on the correct separation of organic waste is always available from your local waste disposal company or your municipality. Ash, animal droppings, vacuum cleaner bags, or treated wood are not included in organic waste. Among other things, it contains plant residues, fruit and vegetable waste, coffee and tea filters. Garbage that is too damp should be wrapped in paper before being thrown away.

Many consumers have relied on bioplastic bags for years. The composting plant rejects these bags. Reason: They do not rot fast enough, and small residues remain in the compost. Also, it is indistinguishable from a normal plastic bag. Therefore, the disposal company will try to remove all the bags before composting. A complex process that doesn’t work 100 per cent. The remaining plastic remains in compost on arable land and the vegetable garden.

Correctly separate waste: What remains 

Hazardous waste

Repair waste, cleaning agents, spray cans, chemicals with the Hazardous Substance symbol, or thermometers containing mercury are generally classified as hazardous waste. It will be done. Municipalities have collection points where you can dispose of this waste for free (in normal household quantities). In addition, dealers are obliged to recover certain products that contain harmful substances (used batteries, used oil, etc.).

Residual Waste

If all are properly separated, there is not much leftover in the residual waste bin. Disposal of ash, animal dung, and debris, dirty paper, sanitary goods, diapers, vacuum cleaner bags, broken light bulbs, felt-tip pens, cigarette butts, old photos, broken ceramics, and glass, broken plastics, and households It is a collection tray for things, item. Electronic waste should never be disposed of with household waste. It belongs to the recycling yard.

Waste Disposal Quavadis?

Digitisation pervades many areas of our lives. In the future, it should also help make waste treatment more efficient. Companies are already working on sensors that report the location and filling level of waste containers. This makes it easier to plan routes for waste disposal companies as needed. This saves resources and CO2 emissions and prevents the trash can from overflowing.

In the future, even individual citizens’ waste consumption will be accurately determined and billed using the app. Such a solution has already been tested in Upper Palatinate. Municipalities aim to create financial incentives to avoid waste.

The important point is the further development of the recycling cycle. To date, many packages are not reusable. In addition to improper disposal, a common cause is also a technical defect in the sorting and recycling machine. A single type of plastic sorting is required, but it is still technically difficult to implement today. However, research such as “chemical recycling” that decomposes plastic products into their original components has already been conducted.

However, the first step towards a clean environment is always waste avoidance and proper waste disposal despite all innovations. The reason is as follows. If packages are still found in forests and meadows, the best sorting system will not help.