How to prepare recyclable waste for selective collection?

Learn how to clean, separate and prepare what should be recycled, based on Reverse Cleaning Logistics. 

 

Preserving the environment is an action that starts with small everyday attitudes and that, without realizing it, make all the difference. Selective collection is the first step towards the proper destination of solid waste. It starts with the disposal of the material, that is, when it went to your company’s trash can. However, what the majority of the population does not know, or even imagine, is that the dirty recyclable material makes the reuse process unfeasible and ends up being discarded, ending up in landfills. 

Recycling only benefits: it saves natural resources, reduces the amount of water and energy used in the manufacture of new products, and also generates income for workers working in the waste market. In addition, it is mandatory for some companies – understand more in the text on the National Solid Waste Policy. 

We at Plataforma Verde take trash very seriously and in our office we have specific bins for each material and purpose. They have different colors and with the instruction of what type of material can be discarded in each one. In this article, we will help you on how to make the correct separation and preparation when disposing of waste. 

Correct separation 

• Non-Hazardous Recyclable Waste 

Non-hazardous recyclable waste is the one we hear most commonly: glass, plastic, paper, cardboard and aluminum. Make waste bins available for each of these materials in your company. Thus, proper separation becomes easier for both. 

It is worth remembering that Styrofoam is a noble type of plastic, and can be placed in the same trash can as other types of plastic. 

Another important point is to sanitize the packaging of the products that are being discarded. This prevents leaks, unpleasant odors, the proliferation of bacteria and attraction of disease vectors. In the newspaper O Globo, there is an article explaining the problems of not sanitizing recyclable garbage, and you can read it by clicking here. 

 

• Non-recyclable and non-hazardous waste 

These are materials that are difficult to recycle, such as paraffined or plasticized paper, adhesives, masking tape, carbon paper, photographs, mirrors, steel or dishwashing sponges, among others. These residues must be placed in garbage bags or trash cans in gray, which represents non-recyclables, according to the Selective Collection Standard. 

 

• Hazardous Waste 

Waste characterized as hazardous is that which poses a risk to the environment and / or public health, and for this reason, it is essential to prepare it correctly for disposal. To be considered hazardous, these wastes must contain components in their formulas that make them flammable, corrosive or reactive. Some examples are waste from the health area in general, technological waste and chemical products. Separate them in orange, white and purple trash bags or trash bins. In orange, hazardous waste should go, while in white, health waste. And in purple, radioactive materials and technological waste. 

  

• Organic waste 

  

Organic waste is usually formed by leftovers. Not only is it necessary to separate this type of waste, but mainly, to pack it correctly, these materials can decompose, and emit gases that cause the greenhouse effect and odors, which can contaminate the environment. The ideal is that the collector takes the material to composting plants, a biological process that values ​​organic matter making it rich in nutrients and minerals for the soil, today there are even residential composting plants, where anyone can compost in home. 

 

• Reverse logistic 

Certain products become the responsibility of the manufacturing company, regardless of whether there is selective collection made by the public or private cleaning service. This happens with materials that are hazardous to the population and the environment, once discarded. 

Some examples of materials subject to reverse logistics are technological waste in general, such as electronic products and their components, pesticides and car maintenance materials, among others. 

The list is quite extensive, for this reason, it is up to the manufacturer to provide a service that allows the return of materials at collection points. 

If your business does not yet use a waste management service, GreenPlat can help you with that. Our software allows contact between the company that generates the waste, collectors and the final destination, which are the companies that carry out recycling and / or reverse logistics of products.