Fighting the pollution of nature from your home is possible. You don’t have to be an expert in waste management or environmental issues, you just have to follow three easy steps: identify your waste, separate it and share as much as you can with others. That’s being a change agent!
However, if you don’t know where to start, keep reading and learn how you can contribute from your home to reduce the presence of plastics in seas, mountains and rivers more and more:
Get informed and raise awareness of the problem
The overproduction and low percentage of plastic reuse is an issue that should concern everyone. According to the UN, 8 million tons of this material ends up in the oceans each year, dangerously affecting our marine ecosystem. Also, a plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to decompose.
However, recycling not only helps the environment to be free of this material, but also contributes to reducing the consumption of raw materials, natural and energy resources that are used to produce plastics and that are also largely responsible for the pollution of our home.
This information is enough for the need to recycle to become a priority, and for this practice to become a habit in the daily life of Ecuadorian families.
Start small and build a habit
If you have never recycled, it will surely cost you a bit to start with this commitment. However, when you realize how easy it is, there is no excuse anymore! Start by stopping the use of unrecyclable materials, such as plates or foam cups. Then, start to identify those that you can give a second life to, which, fortunately, are in almost all the products we consume on a daily basis:
– HDPE (High Density Polyethylene): It is the most recycled plastic in the world. We can find it in drink bottles and food containers
– PVC (Polyvinyl chloride): It is characterized by being very hard. It is usually found in bottles of cleaning products, cosmetics, milk, juices and more resistant bags.
– LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene): It is also one of the most common and resistant. It is found in common plastic bags and lids.
– PP (Polypropylene): It can be found in various materials, such as trays, record cases and disposable cutlery.
After identifying what you can recycle, it’s time to separate it from organic and other waste. To do this, allocate a bin or a box to deposit only these completely clean materials, since these plastics will become raw material to produce others. You can even label this bin with instructions so your family and friends know what to do.
The task does not end here. Remember that if the plastic does not reach a suitable place to transform it, it will end up mixed with common garbage and exposed to the environment. Identify the grassroots recyclers in your neighborhood, who function as a safe transport to the new life of plastic, establish contact with them and create an agreement so that they can always come to your home to collect this material.
Share what you know and motivate others
Caring for the environment is everyone’s task. Motivate your family and friends to acquire this habit, remind them of the great contribution they will make just by separating their waste and explain to them how they should do it. As more people join this task, the figures presented at the beginning will be reduced more and more.
At Origin, our motivation is the commitment we have with society and nature. We are the first Ecuadorian brand that encompasses the entire circular economy process, working hand in hand with grassroots recyclers to transform thousands of waste into thousands of new bottles every day.
