One of the most common mistakes we make is assuming that all plastics are recyclable or attempting to recycle unsuitable materials. It is not only important to identify what can be recycled, but to separate the materials that cannot be processed again, and to the extent possible, reduce their use or give them personal use at home.
Have you wondered what they are? We show you below:
Colored or screen-printed plastics
Have you come across a bottle from which you cannot remove the label or which has the brand directly printed on it? These are screen-printed bottles and their recycling is impossible since they are already contaminated with dye, and this prevents them from being processed again for consumption. We give you an idea: do not throw them away, wash them well and create pots or homemade containers with them.
Remember: even if the bottle is PET, if it has these characteristics, don’t put it in the recycling container. If the term PET is new to you, we invite you to read everything about this plastic here.
Containers with leftover food
In cases where you can no longer clean food remains (such as greasy cartons, for example) unfortunately, these containers have to be thrown away. However, it is almost always in our hands to treat the packaging correctly to enable it for recycling. If they are PET bottles, empty their contents, wash them and crush them. That is the correct process for them to be candidates to be a new bottle.
Foil wrappers
Did you know that food wrappers, even if they are clean, cannot be recycled? This is because these materials are made from aluminum foil with PVC, one of the most difficult plastics to reprocess. Added to these packaging are tubes of toothpaste and cans with toxic materials.
Special papers
While paper can be recycled, there are some types that contain something extra (like adhesives) or are made in a way that is not compatible with recycling. The most common examples are fax papers, tickets or photographs. We recommend that you keep these materials and use them for a second time at home for crafts, for example.
Your commitment from home represents an enormous contribution so that recycling continues, and, therefore, so that there is less and less waste in nature. Identify what you can and cannot recycle and apply less consumption of non-recyclable materials for greater environmental care. We invite you to learn about us and how we contribute so that there is less and less plastic in nature.
