Dispose of waste correctly: what belongs where?

Material is welded to other material – and now?

It is really crying that hardly any packaging consists of only one material. So question: then put it in the residual waste or risk the recycling bin? True to the motto, they will use any of them … That is actually difficult, says Frederike Farsen from the Consumer Center in North Rhine-Westphalia. On the one hand: "Before something that does not belong in a recycling bin, possibly contaminates the other valuable materials, it goes into the residual waste with it." The facility for plastic and Co. would filter out the blind passenger anyway and chauffeur it into the incinerator. We can spare the world the extra truck. On the other hand: glass and plastic, for example, welded together, should rather be in the glass container so that at least the valuable glass is recycled. Is it even more complicated ?! Hey, industry, can you finally put products in single-variety packages?

Why is there no loan system on everything?

So on champagne bottles, canned glass, to-go doggy bags … Because why should the reusable system only work for certain foods? There are actually good reasons for this. The most important thing: there must be enough containers in circulation, which means that they have to be brought back again and again so that the dealers do not have to constantly buy new ones. And that's the problem: Doesn't every one of us have a half-empty schnapps somewhere or the empty milk bottle waiting to be returned? Just. Let's face it: We consumers would hoard our reusable glasses like our disposable returnable bottles (at least three sacks full). In the case of milk and yoghurt in particular, the glasses often come back with a delay, so bottlers would have to buy more reusable glasses than necessary for the system to work, says Frederike Farsen. Bitter: That's why some cafes and restaurants shy away from to-go containers. You don't want to constantly buy new ones.

Do we actually have to unscrew the lid before the deposit?

"No way!" Says our expert. The lid on the glass and plastic reusable bottles protects the screw thread, i.e. the bottle neck. If the bottle moves without a lid in the deposit machine, the bottle neck quickly gets scratched. The bottle is then sorted out and melted down instead of refilled. That would be tragic because undamaged glass bottles can otherwise be reused up to 50 times! Therefore: leave the lid on for reusable bottles! But with the PET bottles it has to be, right? Nope. What few people know: Most lids are made of the same material as the containers and can be recycled sorted (i.e. of particularly good quality). By the way: Many manufacturers are trying to finally manufacture their PET bottles from 100 percent recycled plastic. For example, Henkel has won a large proportion of its plastic and detergent packaging since 2019.

Um Mold in the pack. Residual waste or yellow sack?

Okay guys, first things first: we do a lot for the environment, but we don't have to endanger our health. So please do not open it and breathe in spores, just so that we dutifully scrape the moldy cheese for the organic waste bin out of the pack and throw the plastic casing into the yellow bin. But it is also wrong to stow the whole thing in a sealed bag, à la: at least I still save the plastic. The inside could burst on the sorting belts and contaminate other plastic parts around it. The sorting system then has a hard time recognizing the other packaging and, at worst, can no longer recycle it. Our expert therefore advises: moldy food, including the package, should be placed in the residual waste. It is like it is.

Where to put old photos?

Hach yes, the departure to the Baltic Sea, the school ball or the first flat-share move – all neatly documented in a thousand photos. A couple of memories are really nice, annoying only when mom takes them out of the basement in boxes. The question is already there: What should I do with it now? In any case, the old ham does not want the paper bin. They're all coated. So it's best to say "thank you" inside, tear it up and put it in the residual waste.

Crazy rules for compost

Do you have compost? 1+ with asterisk! Do you also know the do's and don'ts? Garden waste is allowed in, i.e. twigs, straw, leaves, small animal manure (yes, also rabbit bait) and kitchen trash such as coffee grounds, tea (but only in a paper bag), egg shells (because it contains lime, so good for the soil), herbs and clear: remains of raw Vegetables, fruit and their skins – also moldy, rots on the compost anyway. But what you definitely can't do: cooked leftovers, bones, bones, sausage, cheese, dog droppings and cat litter. That only attracts the rats. Fun fact: cut flowers are not allowed per se! They are injected frequently and then ruin your entire biosystem. The same applies to citrus fruits (but okay in moderation, according to the consumer advice center). For all eco-nerds: of course, nibble off the sticker from the banana peel beforehand, right?

Electronics stores have to take old cell phones!

Breaking News: To dispose of a small electrical device, we don't have to itch to the recycling center. If the cell phone or the broken hair dryer has an edge length of less than 25 centimeters, we can deliver the part to any electronics store with a store and storage area of ​​at least 400 square meters. Such shops have been obliged to do this since 2016, even if we once bought the devices elsewhere!

Would you like to read more about the topic and exchange ideas with other women? Then check out the "Science and Environmental Protection Forum" BRIGITTE community past.