Not only must we recycle waste, but we must also reduce the waste that we generate since, from the environmental point of view, the best waste is that which is not generated at all.
We usually talk about the benefits for the environment brought about by us recycling waste, but how much are we talking about? Is recycling really good for the environment? Sometimes it’s important to know how much we mean exactly, to put it in “black on white,” with concrete cases and data.
Within the scope of waste prevention –generating less garbage –one of the current main battles is the huge quantity of food waste that we produce. We’re not aware of it, but FAO[1] has established that, worldwide, 1/3 of the food produced for human consumption is wasted.
After reviewing the importance of biowaste recycling lets put some data and precise benefits of the it’s recycling process, as we saw for the papel plastic, metal and glass recycling:
Vegetable and food leftovers (mostly from vegetable or animal origin) are called the “organic fraction” or biowaste. Biowaste consists of water (80% of its weight) and organic matter (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats). This waste is generally quite heavy and small in volume as it occupies little space, therefore, it is a high-density type of waste.
New times, new challenges. We have seen how plastic production has increased[1] to 300 million tons in 2013, of which 78 million is destined for the production of plastic[2] packaging. The extraordinary growth of this type of garbage has resulted in many plastics escaping collection and treatment systems and ending up in other places, like the seas …
The biggest plastic dump in the world: The ocean Read More »