Sorting waste should be a daily matter of course for every person. We used to have very limited information about how to recycle. Until recently, our knowledge was also quite limited. We knew where plastic belonged and where paper and glass belonged, but we didn't know what to do with the rest of the waste. In this article, we will describe in more detail where each type of garbage belongs.
Slovakia is improving in terms of waste recycling in the European Union. According to the EU regulation, each country should be able to sort 50% of all waste. Data from 2022 show that the average level of municipal waste sorting in the thirty most populous Slovak cities last year reached 46.49%.
What we are better at than other European Union states is the lower amount of generated waste. The average per person in Slovakia is 348 kg per year, while the EU average is 482 kg.
What do people throw in mixed waste that ends up in landfills? Mainly waste that can be very easily sorted and reused or gently disposed of. The content of the bin consists of biowaste (45%), paper (13%), plastics (11%), glass (10%), textiles, metals, inorganic waste, tetrapaks and hazardous waste. Mixed waste, which belongs to the black bin and which cannot be sorted any further, makes up about 4% of the total real amount of discarded waste. This means that 96% of our waste that goes to landfills or incinerators can be recycled.
So how to properly sort waste into colored containers?
TO THE GREEN CONTAINERS BELONG: Non-returnable glass packaging from alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, glasses, plate glass from windows and doors (larger quantities belong to the collection yard), glass shards, etc.
WHAT DOES NOT BELONG THERE: Porcelain, ceramics, wire glass, auto glass, mirrors, TV screens, light bulbs, gold-plated and plated glass or technical types of glass. Returnable bottles must be returned to the store.
TO THE BLUE CONTAINERS BELONG: Newspapers, magazines, office paper, advertising leaflets, compressed boxes, cartons, paper packaging, paper bags. Paper with paper clips or shredded paper in small quantities.
WHAT DOES NOT BELONG THERE: Binding covers of books, wet, greasy or dirty paper, asphalt and tar paper, used diapers and hygiene items, foil, cellophane, etc.
TO THE YELLOW CONTAINERS BELONG: Uncontaminated compressed or trampled PET bottles from drinks, plastic and microtene bags, packaging films, polystyrene, yogurt jars, CD packaging, packaging from washing and cleaning products and cosmetics.
WHAT DOES NOT BELONG THERE: Greasy packaging with leftover food, floor coverings, neodur pipes, packaging made of dangerous substances, such as motor oils, paints, etc.
TO THE RED CONTAINERS BELONG: Metal packaging, cans, metal products and parts, foil, beverage cans.
WHAT DOES NOT BELONG THERE: Metal packaging combined with other material, e.g. tubes of creams and pastes. Soft bags, e.g. from coffee. Metal packaging containing residues of dangerous substances. Oversized metal waste must be taken to metal collection points, or to the collection yards.
TO THE BIO-WASTE CONTAINERS BELONG: Peels, tea bags, fruit, vegetables, waste from public greenery, leaves, grass, garden waste.
WHAT DOES NOT BELONG THERE: Meat, ash, construction waste, etc.
Sources: odpady-portal.sk, Envi-Pak, ecohero.sk
