Recycling is essential for the protection of our environment but also in order to improve our living spaces. With this in mind, even households help to facilitate this step by carrying out selective sorting, for example. But what waste is actually recycled once removed from our bins? 60 Million Consumers wanted to answer this question with a recent study on the subject.
Article summary
The study conducted by 60 million consumers
Plastic, the most complicated material to recycle
Recycling other materials
Glass
Metals
Cardboard and paper
The study conducted by 60 million consumers
One of the strategies for a healthy environment set by the authorities is to achieve total recycling of all plastic waste from households within the next 7 years. If this seems to be a realistic objective, the current results demonstrate that there is still a long way to go for the success of selective sorting. This is what the magazine 60 million consumers demonstrated using its study concerning waste from our trash cans. According to the latter, it is found that only 3% of plastic waste is actually recycled . This is due to the lack of recycling channels that we currently see.
Plastic, the most complicated material to recycle
According to the standard, only bottles and flasks can be recycled. However, the findings highlight that many waste present in selective sorting bins are made of a material other than the plastic in question. By grouping HDPE , light PET and dark PET waste , it is easier to grind them to make new products. In order to remedy the problem and determine what goes or does not go into the recycling bin, it is therefore advisable to check the information on the packaging.
Recycling other materials
But what about other waste and recycling? What you need to know is that if plastic is not treated as the government would like, other materials are much more favorable to such use . This is due to their ease of recycling but also to greater attention from households.
Glass
Only glass packaging is recyclable at the moment. They are deposited directly in large common landfills before being recovered and reconditioned. The method consists of cleaning them before grinding them to obtain cullet . This is then processed to obtain a new product that can be recycled again later. Currently, its recycling rate is 100% .
Metals
This mainly concerns steel and aluminum, the recycling of which is already very well known today. Small cans, cans and aerosols are placed directly in the corresponding part of the recycling bin. In the case of a larger item, it is possible to go to the municipality’s container dedicated for this purpose to drop it off. When it comes to steel, it is stripped of the iron it contains before being melted and reconstituted to make an ingot. In the case of aluminum packaging, the processing is much simpler and can be done endlessly.
Cardboard and paper
It is surely the easiest material to recycle and this is why we see a higher rate of treatment. Before putting them in a recycling bin, households just need to remember to empty them carefully and avoid the presence of fat. This waste can be put in the household bin or in a recycling center in order to be recycled correctly. To give them a second life, the paper and cardboard are cleaned and freed of all chemicals.
