Recycling:how to properly sort your waste?

Does the plastic bottle go in the green bin or the yellow bin? Tea bags and other organic waste, where do we already throw them away? No doubt, you too need help to properly sort your waste! What are the best practices to adopt to contribute to the preservation of our planet? We explain!

Recycling, how does it work?

The recycling cycle begins when you buy an object (food, cosmetics or hygiene products). Once the product is consumed, it becomes waste. This is when the consumer must recycle his waste by depositing it in the appropriate bin. The recycling bins are then sent to sorting centers which process and transform the materials collected. Finally, recycled materials are reused.

The 4 colors to remember to better sort your waste

To know in which bins the waste goes, there are four colors to remember. These colors of bins correspond to the family of waste that you can throw in them:The yellow bin:plastic bottles, flasks and cans, cardboard boxes and food cartons, tin cans; The green bin:bottles and glass jars; The blue bin:newspapers and magazines; The brown (or regular) bin:all organic waste and what is not recyclable.

5 tips for better sorting your waste

Even with a lot of good will, it happens that we are a little lost when it comes to throwing away waste. Is it recyclable? In which bin should we throw it? Worse, believing we are doing the right thing, we make recycling mistakes. Here are 5 simple steps to better sort your waste:

• Dispose of recyclable waste in sorting bins: this is a first step for our planet. Cities provide bins for glass, plastic and cardboard. Once a week, all you have to do is throw your recyclables there to contribute to the recycling of waste. Remember to empty the packaging of any liquid or food. No need to rinse them, water is precious.
• Avoid putting the packaging inside each other :even if it saves space, it is better to leave them loose in order to facilitate sorting. Remember to separate the packaging well from each other (for a package of cakes, separate the cardboard from the plastic).
• Do not tear or compact packaging and waste :the larger the packaging, the easier it is to recycle the waste in the sorting chain. Do not compress plastic bottles and do not tear cardboard packaging to better sort your waste.
• Check that the plastic is recyclable :even if you think you are doing well, throwing everything plastic in the sorting bin is not a good idea. Not all plastics are recyclable. Only plastic bottles and flasks have their place in the sorting bin. Yogurt pots, plastic dishes, and plastic bags should be thrown in your regular trash can.
• Don't throw away expired medicines :your medicine chest is overflowing with medicines that you don't use or that have expired? Avoid throwing them in the trash at all costs. You can recycle the cardboard packaging, but take the drugs back to a pharmacy.

All eco-citizens with the SERD!

On the occasion of the European Week for Waste Reduction (SERD) organized by ADEME which will take place from November 16 to 24, 2019, let us become aware of the way we sort our waste. The SERD invites local authorities, administrations, associations, companies, schools, retirement homes, hospitals and individuals to carry out awareness-raising actions on waste sorting.

Feel free to use the Citeo application or visit the site http://www.consignesdetri.fr to find out about all the sorting and recycling points in your municipality. A search engine by waste allows you to find the appropriate collection point. With these tips, you can become a seasoned eco-citizen. On your way!