Recycling: how to properly separate waste according to the color of the container

The fact that as many as 80 % things are used only once, and then thrown in the trash, without recycling, is frightening. Recycling is not only important for us, but also for the environment, as it reduces energy consumption, improves water and air quality and fights against climate change. In order to make people more aware of the importance of recycling, the United Nations declared March 18 as World Recycling Day.

What is recycling?

Recycling is the separation of materials from waste, and above all, their reuse is important. Recycling reduces the use of new raw materials for the production of new products, thereby saving material and natural resources. Newspapers, plastic water bottles, cans, cereal boxes and milk cartons are some of the most commonly recycled items.

Why is recycling important?

Recycling is important because it prevents environmental pollution, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution and air and saves energy. Recycling also saves money, as the same things are reused instead of new production. By recycling every day, you too can contribute to saving the planet, as well as spreading the message of why recycling is important.

What is allowed and what is not allowed to be placed in containers?

Blue containers - paper

V blue containers can you dispose of:
– newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogues,
– notebooks, books, picture books,
– stationery and computer paper, letters, stationery, paper bags,
– folders, cardboard folders, corrugated cardboard, cardboard boxes (without adhesive tape, plastic, styrofoam, etc.)

In blue containers don't delay:
– indigo paper, carbon paper, photos and photo paper,
– oily and dirty paper, rubber stickers, diapers and the like.

Brown containers - organic waste

In ecological containers brown color, you can you dispose of:
– kitchen waste (fruit and vegetable scraps and peels, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, bread scraps, salad, etc.),
– garden or green waste (flowers, fallen leaves, mowed grass, hedges, soil in pots, leftover fruit and vegetables, etc.),
– small amounts of other biological waste (bark, sawdust, pine needles).

In ecological containers don't delay:
- remains of heat-treated food,
– meat, fish, bones, skin,
– dairy products, oils and fats,
– ash, hazardous waste,
– colored and varnished wood waste,
– clothes, cigarettes, etc.

Green containers - glass

V green containers can you dispose of:
– empty bottles and bottles of food, beverages, cosmetics and medicines,
– emptied jars of pickled foods,
– other glass packaging.

In green bins don't delay:
– window, car glass, crystal and optical glass, glass wool,
– light bulbs and other lamps,
– porcelain and ceramic objects.

Yellow containers - packaging

V yellow containers for packaging you can you dispose of:
– bottles of drinks and food,
– plastic glasses and pots,
– plastic bags and foils (milk and fruit juice packaging, food and beverage cans),
– plastic packaging of non-hazardous chemicals (properly emptied),
– other plastic products: bottles for soft drinks, corks, plastic plates, cutlery, etc.

In the yellow bins don't delay:
– plastic packaging and cans with leftover paints, varnishes and motor oils,
– plastic packaging and cans with chemical residues,
- bottles and cans with flammable and explosive liquids,
– bottles and cans under pressure (e.g. propane/butane bottles)

Containers for textiles

In the containers for waste textiles you can postpone:
– clothes, towels, bed linen, curtains,
– hats and caps,
– fabric bags and toys,
– other waste textile products.

In the textile waste containers don't delay:
– footwear, leather bags,
– feather pillows, blankets.

Plastic recycling

Plastic is one the most commonly used materials and many objects that we use every day are made from it. Therefore, to save the planet, it is very important to increase the percentage of plastic recycling. So far, as many as 8,300 million tons of new plastic have been produced worldwide, of which only 9 % were recycled and 12 % were incinerated. Single-use and microplastics are a major pollution problem today seas all over the planet, and tiny plastic particles are particularly dangerous for fauna living under the sea. Experts estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the seas.

Paper recycling

Paper recycling is the oldest form of recycling. This recycling preserves forests, reduces water pollution, conserves natural resources and energy, and reduces the amount of waste in landfills. Four tons of paper, 200,000 liters of water and 4,600 kWh of energy are needed to produce one ton of paper. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proven that paper recycling leads to 74 % reductions in air pollution and 35 % reductions in water pollution compared to primary production. Paper recycling is also beneficial because recycled paper can be used to make textbooks, magazines, newspapers and other products.

Glass recycling

Recycling glass is easy an endless process, as glass can be completely recycled without losing its properties or quality. By collecting bottles and glasses and recycling glass, we save natural raw materials and energy, reduce environmental pollution and save space in landfills. Recycling just one bottle saves as much energy as keeping a 60-watt light bulb on for 4 hours or running a computer for 30 minutes.

Recycling clothes

Over the years, "fast fashion" has resulted in huge amounts of clothing being thrown away without being recycled, with extremely harmful consequences for the environment. Recycling clothes is extremely important for preserving the planet, especially water. The fashion industry is responsible for 20 % worldwide of waste water, as large amounts of water are used for their production. New materials also pose a challenge for clothing recycling, as fabrics are made up of a combination of fibers. New clothes should become sustainable and made in a simpler way. The complete recycling of clothes would mean converting them into something completely different.

Only by realizing that we ourselves are responsible for waste and our planet, will we ensure a clean, orderly and healthy environment for ourselves and future generations.