17 May, World Recycling Day

international-recycling-day

 

May 17 marks World Recycling Day, officially declared by UNESCO, and aimed at raising awareness on the importance of recycling as a tool for proper waste management and to paliate climate change.

But what is recycling?

Recycling is understood as the mechanism through which a certain material is processed to later give it a new use. In this way, we put that material back into operation and prevent it from becoming waste.

Glass, paper, metal and plastic are recyclable materials and there are numerous specialized entities in charge of processing this type of waste.

Reduce and reuse before recycling

Before recycling, we should consider reducing and reusing. After all, the purpose remains the same: making the most of resources and reducing waste.

We can reduce our waste by shopping mindfully, trying to find unpacked goods or products with a biodegradable packaging.

It is key to reduce plastic packaging, as plastic waste is currently the biggest pollution problem we are facing.

Simple actions such as using tote bags or buying unpacked products can make a huge difference.

But there’s also a lot we can do by reusing materials. We can give written paper a new use, by using it to take notes, or reuse plastic containers to give them a new use at home.

Let’s talk recycling bins

Recycling starts at home, as we all have the power to contribute to giving a second life to the material we are going to toss by placing it in the right recycling bin.

Remember that plastic waste, which includes items such as milk containers, cans and plastic bottles, should be placed in the yellow bin.

The blue bin is where all paper and cardboard waste should go, including cardboard boxes, documents and prints, cardboard cups …

The green bin is the right place for glass containers such as glass bottles and jars.

Certain waste such as batteries, clothing, footwear, appliances or light bulbs require specialized treatment. There are specific bins and recycling facilities for all these materials to enable their proper recycling.

Recycling shipping containers

As we told you in this article, shipping containers can also be recycled, or rather… reused! They make a highly versatile material because of their standardized dimensions. It is common to see shipping containers turned into apartments (even luxury homes), hotels, swimming pools, exhibition and commercial stands, pop up stores… and even museums! Any material is likely to have a second life, regardless of its size and composition, just take a look around!

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