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Knowledge about waste: What happens to the waste?

Garbage plays an important role in our everyday life because we all produce it in large amounts. But why is there so much to consider when throwing it away, and why can't we just put all the garbage into one bag? Some people find it annoying to sort garbage and dispose of glass, plastic, paper, biodegradable, or residual waste separately. But in fact most waste is quite valuable, and that’s why this process is so important. Different types of waste are transported to different places after it has been collected, where they can be recycled, reused or incinerated.

Where does the garbage collector take our garbage?

There is no general answer to this as it depends on the type of garbage you’re dealing with. Plastic and glass are recycled whilst residual waste is incinerated. Accurate waste separation aids in this process more than you would believe.

Glass: An eternal cycle

Glass is a valuable reusable resource that still holds potential after you’re done with it. The empty wine bottle from your last cosy dinner with friends can end up back on the table as a jam jar at breakfast with the family. To make this possible, glass and only glass must end up in the containers in which it belongs. After collecting these containers, it goes to a glass recycling plant and gets sorted for melting. The process may seem tedious, but that’s because glass is particularly durable and can be recycled into many different objects and forms.

Paper: Durable and environmentally friendly

Does a newspaper become worthless once you’ve read through it? No, because paper can be reused, just like glass. After gathering it all from the waste collection service, it’s taken to a paper recycling plant where it’s processed so that it can be changed into something new. This process even makes it possible to remove ink from paper. Recycling paper not only saves water and energy compared to making new paper, but it also means that no more trees have to be cut down, making it a particularly environmentally friendly process.

Plastic: The enemy of nature

It is no secret that plastic waste is a big problem in the world. The oceans are full of it because it’s often not disposed of correctly. As a result, it enters our food chain when it breaks down and can cause serious health problems. There is a way to tackle this problem: separating our waste. If plastic is properly disposed of and freed from other packaging materials such as aluminium, it can be reused which is much better for the environment.

Organic waste: Pure energy

Food waste isn’t exactly a highly discussed topic. The main aim is to get rid of it. It’s worthless rubbish anyway! It may appear to be at first, but even food scraps are recyclable. After they have ended up in organic waste, the leftovers are taken to a composting plant where they are decomposed. As it breaks down it creates an unexpected byproduct: energy,  which provides us with electricity.

Residual waste: Unwanted residue

As the name suggests, the remaining waste that doesn't fit into any of the other categories ends up in residual waste. These are incinerated. To reduce the amount of slag produced from this process, it’s important that only residual waste is dealt with here. To keep the amount of non-recyclable waste as low as possible, accurate waste separation is essential.

Separating waste: But where should you put it?

Waste separation sounds overwhelming. Five different containers for the different types of waste! Where would you even store them all? It is easier to carry out proper separation without massive amounts of excess space than you might expect! HAILO offers innovative options for this, with a suitable solution for every kitchen. Whether you prefer the Öko duo, which provides space for a larger and smaller container in a stylish looking bin, or the Öko trio, which is designed for three different types of waste. If you like to hide your rubbish, our EcoLine Design L built-in waste separators or the Multi-Box duo L give you what you need efficiently and secretly. Waste separation does not need to be difficult and you help the environment at the same time.

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