Are you a fan of recycling or one of those people who still believes that all garbage goes to the same place?
Our rubbish bins are a reflection of what we eat, a photocopy of what we buy and, especially, proof that we are really committed to recycling or if we are one of those people who do not separate and justify themselves by saying that, in the end, everything goes to the same place. “An average US citizen generates three kilos of garbage every day; a European, 1.5 kilos and an African, 300 grams. What we throw away also tells us about our economic situation. And, when we see what is recycled [inside the bag], we also appreciate who, when shopping, has no qualms about consuming disposable things. Avoiding buying these products is as important as separating the waste,” says Miguel Ángel Aguado, environmental promoter and director of the consulting firm B Leaf.
Recycling data in Spain is encouraging: 83.5% of citizens say they separate all or almost all their waste on a daily basis, according to a study prepared by IPSOS for Ecoembes. Recycling everything possible is not always easy and in every house there is always some fault that resists. For this reason, we have decided to visit three households to examine their waste and, through Aguado's analysis, see what they do right or wrong when they recycle and advise them on how they can achieve excellence in this habit. To do this, they have also been given a questionnaire to find out how they separate waste, but also to know how they do their shopping, if they seek to reduce energy consumption or opt for a way of life based on the circular economy.
A house divided by recycling
After a year of living together sharing a flat with two other classmates from the drama school, Eva Alcalá and Carlos Galán divided the flat they have rented in Cáceres into two zones: that of recyclers (for them) and that of non-recyclers ( for the other two). “We couldn't bear to get home and see how someone had thrown a soda can in the wrong place. So we got two buckets for ourselves and we recycle on our own, ”says Alcalá as she shows where they separate the waste. On the small terrace they keep the paper and cardboard in a bag; in another, the glass bottles and in the kitchen, a deposit for organic waste and another for plastic. "We separate everything!" They say in unison.
It seems they don't lie. When one dissects the rubbish that is then thrown into the yellow container (where the plastic, metal and brik containers go) one observes how they separate, for example, the metal caps from the glass bottles (the glass goes green) and there is no trail of cotton swabs or wet wipes, which many people often mistakenly throw away with plastic and aluminum waste. They also don't miss removing the staples from the cardboard boxes before throwing them into the blue container and they never, "never ever", they say, pour the oil down the sink. They save it and deposit it in the orange container.
But they also have doubts. “The last time a brik of broth expired, I threw it directly into the organic bucket. What did I have to do? Throw the inside down the drain and the container into the yellow?” explains Galán. Specific doubts about where to deposit certain waste, says Aguado, is quite common. Among the most common and the ones that aroused the most interest last year, according to AIR-e (the Ecoembes virtual assistant that informs where to dispose of each household waste), is the oven paper, which must go blue, and the masks, which must go to the normal garbage can (the gray one).
Expert Miguel Aguado's assessment of Eva Alcalá and Carlos Galán: The recycling specialist appreciates that despite not getting their roommates to separate waste, they have chosen to continue doing so and being a good example. "In general, they do everything correctly," says Aguado, who has only seen one mistake: "The broth brik, if it is expired, must be emptied down the sink. If there are pieces, filter them and then throw them in the organic bucket. Like this We reduce the effort in the sewage treatment plants. And the packaging, to yellow".
When children lead household recycling
Little Jara, six years old, knows by heart what waste goes in each of the seven mini-containers that are in the kitchen of her house, in Casar de Cáceres, to, as she says, "take care of the planet". Like a tour guide, she points with her hand where everything should go. “Look, there's a sticker on each bucket that says what we have to throw in. The cereal box cannot be thrown away with the plastic,” she says. In her family, she separates from her and it is she, along with her nine-year-old brother Mario, who leads that policy.
María Tovar, her 37-year-old mother, recounts that since they went to school they began to demand of her and her father, Dani, that “everything possible had to be recycled”. They bought several small containers and got down to business. Over time, all members of the family developed a great habit, which can be seen when you examine the way they separate the containers. The briks, for example, are cleaned with a scourer before throwing them away and the cardboard boxes are folded to facilitate their subsequent recycling. "We also try to buy clothes with organic cotton and we deposit it in the containers that are there to reuse it." Only one flaw can be seen: they do not separate the organic remains because, according to what they say, the brown containers have not yet reached their town.
Expert Miguel Ángel Aguado's assessment of the García-Tovar family: "It is a family that, in addition to separating to recycle, also plans to reduce consumerism without affecting their quality of life." Faced with the problem of not being able to separate them because there is no selective collection of organic waste in their locality, Aguado advises them that they can reuse organic waste with small actions. "Coffee grounds can be a fertilizer for plants or a good drain opener. Organic remains can also be composted using a bucket."
The pending subject: recycling away from home
The case of Josema Martín, a 31-year-old single IT person, represents that percentage of people who recycle at home, but not outside of it. Since the arrival of the pandemic, he has organized small barbecues in a field that he has on the outskirts of Cáceres, which are attended by his three best friends and, there, the habit that he created in his home dissipates. In a bag they mix the beer cans with the paper napkins (which should go to the organic container), and in the bag where they throw the cardboard, the cork from the bacon trays, which should go to the yellow container. During the meal, one of his friends says: “Why recycle, if everything goes to the same side afterwards?”.
Aguado says that this is the most common myth that swarms among citizens and also the speech that he listens to the most during the informative talks that he often offers for universities, associations and companies. “That is radically false. It is a hoax that arose as a result of the trucks that collected the two types of waste (those in the yellow container and those in the gray container) and introduced them inside, but each one in a separation that they had, but nobody saw it and some thought that everything was mixed inside”, says the expert.
Another of the mistakes they made was throwing plastic remains (film wrappers and a pack of tobacco) onto the embers. Something that not only goes against recycling, but can also be harmful to health, since the plastic releases toxins that remain attached to the metal grill. On the other hand, you have to remember that before throwing a pack of cigarettes into the blue, you have to separate the plastic that surrounds it and take it to the yellow.
However, among them, the glass is sacred and they always deposit it in the green container. They also empty the remains that remain inside the containers and take care not to leave residues in nature. At the end of the celebration, Martín separated the organic remains and threw them to his dog Martillo, a white hound, who put them in his mouth and then savored them in the shade of a mulberry tree. “When one is in a relaxed and party atmosphere, he loses concern about recycling. Especially if there is any extra beer. You also justify yourself by saying that it is a one-off thing, ”says Martín, who assumes his faults and promises to correct them in the next barbecues.
Expert Miguel Aguado's assessment of Juanma Martín: The specialist sees it well that he recycles cardboard, glass and organic waste, but affirms that "there is plenty of room for improvement." The first thing is to understand that small actions such as separating plastic cutlery from paper napkins (the former to yellow and the latter to organic) add up, although little, to the fight against pollution.
