Producing less ecological footprint is possible. In fact, it is becoming less of an option and more of a duty: it is the only way out we have left to stop global warming and environmental degradation.
The waste management pyramid is headed by prevention because the best waste is that which is not generated. It is about avoiding waste from the moment of design and manufacture, but also when extending the useful life of products through repair or second hand. The linear economy model of produce-use-throw away is unsustainable because it means wasting the planet’s natural resources and raw materials, which may eventually run out.
Correcting this situation requires a change of mentality and a real transition towards the circular economy model, through which raw materials can be recovered and reused and the extraction of new resources can be avoided. Acquiring new habits and taking action will only come with civic understanding and environmental education.
Economic savings and environmental protection
Waste prevention means opting for actions and acquisitions that generate less waste that must be deposited in the container. When we refill and drink water from a reusable container, we save ourselves the purchase and management of many plastic bottles; if we use a sandwich holder, we no longer have to use aluminum foil every time we have breakfast at work; if we buy second-hand items, they will not have to be made new; if we purchase products that expire soon, we prevent good food from having to be thrown away. These actions, in addition, in the short or long term, also mean significant financial savings.
And separate what is left
Acting consciously with the environment brings visible changes; for example, in the volume of waste generated in homes. One of the habits that is no longer possible not to execute is the separation of the different fractions, which is sometimes referred to (erroneously) as recycling.
There are currently five compulsory selective collection fractions: organic, paper-cardboard, light packaging, glass and other. The management of municipal waste is the responsibility of the town councils or supra-municipal bodies that are in charge of these tasks, as MANCOMUNITAT does in Camp de Tarragona. Most towns also have collections for textile waste, used cooking oil and other special waste, in the form of containers on public roads or in mobile or fixed waste bins. The collection of these fractions has so far been voluntary but, in a few months, it will be mandatory.
The European Union has established a series of recycling targets for the next decade. The following timeline indicates what percentages of recovered materials the member states must reach. Therefore, if in 2025 it must be possible to recycle and reuse 55% of the waste that can be recycled, it means that the percentage of selective collection must be higher.
