As a general rule, we can say that all plastics are recyclable, and the first step is to sort them by resin type. There are seven distinct categories: PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, and a seventh category called “others.” This is important because if you don’t know what type of plastic it is, it makes recycling difficult or even impossible.
To facilitate this task, it was agreed that manufactured products should bear a label indicating the type of material they are made of, so that anyone who takes on the task of collecting this material can separate it and subsequently sort it for proper disposal.
The less waste that is generated, the more efficiently materials and energy will be used, ensuring that the planet’s resources are sustainable and that environmental balance is maintained. This is the foundation of the so-called“RRRR”Strategy, which stands for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Energy Recovery.
- Reduce
This involves avoiding the purchase of products that aren’t really necessary and that also contain items that will quickly become trash—such as products with excessive packaging. You can reduce not only your consumption of goods but also your energy use by, for example, optimizing the use of washing machines or dishwashers. It’s simply a matter of reducing the problem to lessen the impact on the environment. - Reuse
This involves finding a second use for products that are no longer useful for the purpose for which you purchased them, or repairing them so they can continue to serve their intended purpose. - Recycling
This involves sorting the waste we generate. It is then processed at specialized facilities to create products for other uses or similar products of lower quality. This helps prevent the uncontrolled use of natural resources, saves energy, and reduces the volume of waste. - Recovery
This relates to industrial processes and involves recovering materials or elements that can be used as raw materials. For example, plastics can be recovered through pyrolysis (by heating), as can the materials used in the manufacture of cans.