It's no secret that the environmental situation in the world is getting worse and worse every year. The problem of Earth pollution by household waste is especially acute. Garbage dumps literally eat the planet hectare by hectare, fill the ocean and create entire garbage islands the size of a state. Most of the household waste that a person produces cannot be destroyed by the earth on its own. The decomposition of some types of garbage takes millennia, for example, plastic or polyethylene. What to do about it? Where to take plastic bottles and other non-degradable household waste?
Why recycle waste
On average, one person produces about 271 kilograms of household waste and garbage per year. Only a tiny fraction of this waste is subject to natural processing, which can still not be decomposed, since it is in plastic bags. It will rot and decay in plastic bags, emitting toxic gases and polluting the air. Landfills are becoming more numerous and extensive, poisoning residents of cities and towns, as well as the environment and animals.
Where does household garbage go in Russia
So, there are several options:
Garbage dumps and landfills. In Russia, in each region there is a huge number of landfills and landfills. Often this becomes a cause of public discontent, since landfills are not far from residential areas. In addition, this affects the aesthetic appearance of the area, garbage poisons the soil, atmosphere, emits an unpleasant odor and affects people's health. Unfortunately, the most frequent thing that happens with household waste is going to a landfill, where it lies for years and tens of years. Landfills breed pests that can disturb residents and spread diseases, such as rats.
Garbage incinerators. This option is better than landfills and landfills, but also has a number of serious drawbacks. Firstly, the toxic gaseous wastes that garbage emits when burned poison the environment and people. In areas near incinerators, people are more likely to have asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer, and water can be unsuitable for domestic use. Secondly, this is a huge expenditure of energy, and the resources from burning garbage are barely enough to ensure the operation of the burning mechanisms themselves. Thirdly, there are not many such plants in our country, and most of the waste simply lies for years in landfills, which are more and more every year.
Waste recycling. The safest option for the environment and humans. There are waste collection points in every city in Russia, but the country does not have waste sorting at the state level. The only thing that can be found is huge containers where you can hand in plastic bottles and other plastic labeled PET or "1", which are located in some yards of more or less large settlements. Garbage sorting for recycling is carried out by private individuals, volunteer or non-governmental organizations. You can do the sorting yourself, first of all you need to find out where to take empty plastic bottles and other garbage in your city.
Why is it necessary to recycle plastic waste
Plastic, plastic and polyethylene are oil products. Plastic can not independently decompose in the soil for many tens and hundreds of years and, at the same time, it is the most common type of household waste.
There are more and more places where you can take empty plastic bottles. From recycled plastic, you can make new bottles and containers, synthetic clothes, cases for electronics and household appliances, bags and much more, without resorting to the costs of new resources and without polluting the planet.
Responsible plastic consumption
So, there are places where you need to take empty bottles and other garbage, it can be recycled. So why then control plastic consumption?
The fact is that plastic can be recycled only a limited number of times, and in the end it will still end up in a landfill, only in smaller quantities (which is undoubtedly good). In addition, in Russia, items made from mixtures of plastic or polystyrene are almost never processed anywhere, as this is more difficult to implement.
Where to hand in plastic bottles for recycling
In almost all cities of Russia there are volunteer organizations and activists. For example, the organization “Separate collection” or “Green patrol” conduct eco-campaigns for separate collection of garbage in districts or quarters, where anyone can send 5-liter plastic bottles, bags, aluminum, glass and other waste on the appointed day and time.
The upcoming promotion is usually warned for a couple of months, the place of collection and the rules of reception are also informed in advance.
How to recycle yourself
In addition to actions for separate collection of garbage, there are collection points for secondary raw materials where you can hand in plastic bottles and other garbage at any time, according to the schedule of the item.
In this case, it is necessary to independently study the conditions of reception, opening hours, as well as which waste the item receives and which not. To find out where the nearest collection point is located, you can use the special Recyclemap card, on which the items are marked on the map, the addresses, the operating mode, and what type of waste the item accepts.
Another way is to take the plastic labeled “PET” to special containers that are in the yards. Their location can also be seen on this map.
Where do they give plastic bottles for money?
On stocks, plastic is handed over for free, as it is very cheap and not valuable raw materials. All the proceeds of organizations from the delivery of plastic goes to its transportation to the processing plant.
For money, sometimes plastic can be handed over at the collection points of secondary raw materials, but this is quite rare and not in all cities, since it is a disadvantageous raw material and less valuable than glass or metal. The average price per kilogram of plastic varies from 50 cents to 5 rubles. The price depends on the type of plastic and the prices of the collection point itself.
