You have no idea how recycling impacts your life.
Did you know that in Brazil we produce 80 million tons of garbage per year ? All this garbage takes up a lot of space and could be being treated to be useful again.
This is the recycling process, taking something that is garbage and transforming it into raw material for new products.
With small habit changes we managed to save our planet and have a better quality of life.
Have you ever imagined the Tietê river clean and can even be frequented as a park and place for swimming and sports?
This was already possible a long time ago , around 1930, it was still possible not to be called crazy if you said you were going to take a dip in the Tietê river.
Currently São Paulo is crossed by a polluted, smelly and lifeless river, thanks to the inadequate disposal of garbage and waste.
This is a clear example of how unrecycled waste can take over the city and destroy it.
Recycling helps conserve natural resources such as wood and water, for example.
It also reduces the cost of urban cleaning and prevents city pollution. The sewers are not clogged, and thus the floods, which devastate the cities in the high season of rain, are avoided. This is a very serious and super recurring problem in several states of Brazil.
Animals, mostly aquatic, are saved by not swallowing plastic.
And this even affects their diet, as it is found in humans micro plastics that animals eat and remain in their organism, becoming a chain of transmission.
Recycling starts at home
Thinking about recycling is a thought of very evolved people, who have a long-term vision, zeal for life, high emotional intelligence and also generativity.
That is, the ability to care about the development of the human community and the well-being of generations to come.
Therefore, if you are thinking of recycling, congratulations, you have our sincere admiration!
Therefore, know that the preservation of the environment starts at home , through small daily attitudes that, added, will make the change.
The most important thing you can do for the planet today is separating and recycling your waste. You can use proper bags for this or trash cans that will facilitate conscious disposal .
How to separate your recyclable waste
So that you are not in doubt about what to do with your recyclable waste, see the correct way to separate it for collection.
1. Separate organic waste from recyclable waste
You can even use some organic waste to create a compost bin and produce a very rich fertilizer, or dispose of it in the conventional trash can.
Waste that can be collected for recycling needs to be separated from organic waste before handing it over for collection.
2. Beware of sharps
Blades, knives, cans, aluminum, metal plates, broken glass, etc. They need special care.
You can place them in a pet bottle or other sturdy container to prevent the pickers from getting hurt.
3. Throw water on anything that is recyclable
Yogurt pots, milk bottles, empty pet bottles, cans, and other packaging that leave organic residues must be sanitized to facilitate the recycling process.
Society appreciates it, but if this cleaning is not possible, continue disposing of your garbage properly.
4. Delivered for collection
There are different ways to deliver your recyclable garbage to the correct collection, the selective collection is currently the best, check what day the recyclable garbage truck passes in your region and remember to put the garbage out.
Another option is the Ecopoints distributed throughout Brazil. Just access the website of your city hall and see where the Ecoponto closest to you is located.
A really cool option is to deliver the garbage, duly separated, directly to the recycling collectors. Many of these people work with recycling cooperatives, so they will deliver to the sheds.
You can help and directly impact that person's life, and also the world. There are apps like Cataki, which connect collectors with people who want to dispose of them.
How to make money recycling
In addition to helping the planet, you can still make an extra income with that recyclable garbage that you would discard, see these three options.
- Make crafts
A good option to be made with recyclable waste such as pet bottles, glass, cans, milk cartons, cardboard and plastic packaging, is crafts. People make everything from vases to dolls with recyclable waste, for example. The options are endless, it will depend on your creativity. - Sell old clothes
The disposal of clothes is a growing concern, because not all clothes are recyclable. Textile waste is an evil in the world, as tons of clothes are dumped in nature.
Selling the clothes you won't use, donating them or even transforming old pieces into new ones are excellent destinations for your textile waste. - Sell Your Recyclables, Literally
You can sell your garbage, such as beer and soda cans, scrap metal, cardboard, and other wastes that are purchased by the kilo, directly to recycling depots.
There is also a more elaborate option for this, you can have your recyclables distributor collect, separate and sell to recycling companies.
You will have to partner with garbage collectors, buy what they collect and pass it on to specialized recycling companies.
What can be recycled?
So that there is no doubt for you, we have separated a list of what can or cannot be recycled, always consult this list when in doubt.
Recyclables are: bottles, cups, pet packaging, bags, lids, product bottles, inkless pens, pvc pipes and tubes, cleaning product packaging, plastic toys, buckets, special glassware such as a microwave oven lid , empty medicine bottles, canning jars, broken glass, all types of paper and dry cardboard that is not plasticized, canned goods, bottle tops, plates, cans, hardware, wires, metal cutlery, pots without handles, aluminum foil clean, pipes, nails, aerosols, copper, marmitex packaging.
You must not recycle materials that have contaminants, such as blood, feces, human or animal secretions.
Also, do not dispose of as recyclable: Chemical products, chemical product packaging, medical waste, light bulbs, glasses, foam, sponge, sockets, acrylic, plastic and styrofoam trays, metallized packaging such as coffee and snacks, pot handles, medicine, tempered glass, ceramics, TV tubes and monitors, adhesive tape, cigarette butts, tacks, clips, insecticide or poison cans, steel wool, needles, cotton, gauze, absorbent, napkins, toilet paper.
Decomposition time of materials
Every piece of garbage thrown into nature incorrectly will stay there for several years, I brought here some examples for you, on average the duration for the decomposition of these items.
Cotton fabric, paper and cardboard take about 6 months to decompose.
Metals take 100 to 600 years to decompose.
Glass, rubber, tires and ceramics take an indefinite amount of time to decompose, they are considered perpetual .
Fishing line, plastic bag packaging , lasts up to 600 years in nature.
For these objects you can have an average of the duration of what is discarded.
Selective collection, the colored bins
The colored bins serve for an efficient recycling collection, facilitating the separation of each type of garbage, see what their colors indicate:
- Yellow - Metals
- Blue – Paper and cardboard
- White - Hospital waste and contaminants
- Gray – Non-recyclable, mixed waste
- Orange – Hazardous waste
- Brown – Organic waste
- Black – Wood
- Purple – Radioactive waste
- Green - Glass
- Red - Plastic
It is worth remembering that these bins for selective collection are also sold without printing, that is, you can customize with an adhesive, for example, each type of waste that you want to recycle in a specific bin.
recycle your cooking oil
Cooking oil should not be discarded anywhere, neither in sinks, vases or in nature.
This is because cooking oil contaminates water sources , the soil and the atmosphere.
Another problem caused by discarding oil down the drains is the accumulation of grease in the plumbing, which attracts pests and also clogs the pipeline.
In addition, the oil reaches the landfills and hinders the permeability of water in the soil, which causes flooding.
Another fact that is taken into account is the oxygenation of the waters, where animals live and are suffocated due to lack of oxygen.
To recycle your cooking oil, you can use pet bottles and deliver them for selective collection.
The oil can also be used to make various products , the most common of which is soap , which can be made at home.
It is also used to make putty, animal feed, resins for paints, adhesives, etc.
Do you know the Ecopoints?
Ecopoints have already been mentioned above, but it is important to highlight this government action, ecopoints are suitable spaces for the correct disposal of rubble in small proportions.
It is also possible to dispose of furniture, upholstery, pruning remains, cooking oil, cardboard, plastic, glass and metals.