Recycling is a key action that you can carry out from your home to minimize the amount of waste produced.
It is the third component of the well-known "3Rs": Reduce, reuse, and recycle. The first consists of reducing both energy consumption and material goods. The second is about giving a new use to certain items to avoid throwing them away. The third is precisely what will be developed in this text.
Reduce - Reuse
The Huella Colectiva (Collective Footprint) project, developed by Mujeres MAS together with Ferretería EPA, aims to help you fulfill the beginning of the cycle more easily: reduce - reuse.
EPA produces around 10 tons of billboards annually. The women who run the Huella Colectiva initiative wash this material, cut it, screen-print it, and sew it to produce reusable bags with unique designs.
You can buy these beautiful shopping bags and thus reduce your consumption of plastic bags to take the great step of reusing new materials to fulfill a new function.
Recycling
Recycling is perhaps the task that depends 100% on you and your family, since it is carried out entirely at home. It is undoubtedly an activity where everyone can get involved, learn, and help.
The first step is to acquire the appropriate bins for each material you are going to recycle. Each one has a specific color. This will facilitate the separation of waste.
The red bin is for all bio-infectious items. That is, waste that implies a risk to health and the environment.
The blue one is for plastic. This material takes approximately 300 years to degrade, so if it is recycled, it can be reused to generate new products, including winter clothing. In this bin, you can deposit any plastic material such as containers, bottles, bags, in addition to Tetra Pak containers.
Aluminum is one of the most polluting materials that exist. Most of it is present in tuna, soda, and beer cans. Its recycling in the yellow bin will be used to produce new aluminum cans.
The orange bin will be exclusively for glass. In specialized plants, the glass is broken and used to create bottles and containers made of this material.
Paper and cardboard should be deposited in the gray bin. For every ton of these materials that is recycled, 17 trees are saved from being cut down.
Finally, the green bin should be used for all organic waste; that is, things that can no longer be consumed or reused.
Perform this separation of materials at the moment you are sure that it can no longer be reused. Doing it immediately will motivate you and help you keep recycling in order.
It is important that every member of your family remembers that each recycled material must be clean of residue. This is to avoid decomposition of materials, bad odors, and the appearance of unwanted insects in the home. For this reason, toilet paper, diapers, napkins, or paper towels are considered organic waste.
Another tip to make better use of the space in your bins is to compress or fold containers and cardboard.
Many municipalities maintain an active recycling program with residents. Check with your municipality to find out the collection schedules for these types of materials.
This is an excellent moment for you to start practicing the 3Rs in your home. Motivate your family and neighbors to give the planet a hand together.