Waste recycling in Israel is growing exponentially and raises hopes about our ability as a company to reduce the human footprint and the environmental damage we leave behind. As part of the recycling efforts, various cans were opened for sorting waste. The purpose of this article is to familiarize you with the different types of waste cans and sorting waste accordingly. That way you will know what kind of waste goes to some tin.
Rationale Classification of waste according to different cans
The basic distinction between the recycling bins relates to the type of items and the types of waste that are supposed to be thrown into them. Without this classification, the whole process of recycling loses its efficiency in a very significant way. In order to make it easier for the public to sort the waste, it was decided that the cans would be divided into several main types, each designated for a particular type of waste. The recycling bins differ in visibility in their hue and shape.
The blue cans are in the trash bin
Paper and cartons account for about twenty-five percent of the total waste in Israel, and therefore their recycling significantly reduces the volume of garbage reaching landfills. In addition, the repeated use of paper reduces the extent of tree cutting, which is essential for maintaining the balance of the world. The contents collected in the blue cans are transported in trucks to the recycling plants, sorted carefully, washed with chemicals, compressed into a dice of more than half a ton, and transferred to the production plants. Where the paper cubes are soaked in a large water tank until they become fibers. As a result, a sticky paper pulp is added, which is added to improve color and other qualities, squeeze the water out of the mixture, heat it with steam and receive new paper.
Here are the main types of waste that should be discarded in the blue bin:
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- cardboard
- Notebooks
- Brochures
- Bristol
- Paper packaging
- Printing paper
- Paper covers
- Packing of cornflakes
The brown cans for organic waste
About 40 percent of all household waste in Israel is composed of wet refuse, and mainly includes food residues. Today, awareness of the separation of wet waste in Israel still needs improvement. Some households have already begun independent sorting of wet waste into compost in domestic composters, mainly in rural localities or among residents living in single-family homes. There are regional and local councils that distribute composters for free. In addition, there are local councils and municipalities that bear the burden of collecting, removing and recycling wet waste for their residents. Authorities working to promote the recycling of wet waste will be stimulated and rewarded accordingly. Wet waste is an excellent raw material for the production of compost and organic fertilizer for agriculture, and is also used in the production of fuel and energy to drive various machines.
Here are the main types of waste that should be discarded in the blue bin:
- fruits
- vegetables
- Peels of vegetables and fruits
- bread
- Cakes
- snacks
- Fat
- Feathers
- Fish
- Insects
- Canned foods
- Seeds and grapes
- Peels of nuts
- Herbs and spices
- Rolls of toilet paper and absorbent paper
- Absorbent papers and tissue
- baking paper
- Peels of eggs
- Egg carton
- Paper packaging of flour and sugar
- Meat and bones
- Milk and dairy products
- toast
- popcorn
- mayonnaise
- bouquets
- pasta
- Riva
- Tea bags
- chocolate
- Sweets (not including chewing gum)
- soya
- Peanut Butter
- Matzot
- Salt and sugar
- Cooks like cooked rice and pies
- All other food scraps
- Grass is covered
- Corks
- Wood splinters
- Hair and nails
- Dung and fur of pets
The orange cans for packages of any kind (except cardboard and glass)
The orange cans have been placed in the recycling centers throughout the country since 2012, following the enactment of the Packaging Law, and are based on existing infrastructures of factories that collect, sort and recycle plastic and metal waste. The contents of the orange cans include metal packaging, drinking bottles, beverage cartons, hard plastic packaging, plastic bags and more. Each of these types of waste is treated differently, and reaches its designated recycling plant. For example, metal packaging waste is melted to be used in the building industry, whereas paper is sorted by thickness and color, broken into fibers, squeezed heated and reused for the production of sheets or toilet paper. Plastic packaging waste is also recycled, of course, after washing and shredding processes for thin flakes, of which various plastic products are manufactured.
Here are the main types of waste that should be discarded in the orange bin:
- Plastic packaging such as milk containers and salad boxes and spreads
- Package made of polystyrene
- Milk bags
- plastic bags
- Food packages such as snacks, lentils or rice
- Packaging hygienic products such as liquid soap bottles and toothpaste tubes
- Thick plastic bags
- Various metal packaging, including canned goods, milk substitutes for babies, and the like
- Milk cartons and juice
The purple cans for glass packaging waste
Glass packaging accounts for approximately 1.2% of total waste in terms of volume, and approximately 3% of total household waste. The waste glass is reclaimed in factories specializing in the production of recycled glass, and is used to build infrastructures such as roads and roof tiles. Recycling glass saves the natural raw materials that are quarried in the quarries as well as energy, since its melting temperature is significantly lower than that of raw sand. In addition, glass recycling contributes to reducing the overall waste volume for landfilling.
Here are the main types of waste that should be discarded in the purple trash can:
- Bottles of olive oil
- Jars of coffee
- Perfume bottles
- Jars of animals for babies
- Jars of jam and honey
- wine bottles
- Glass broken glass
Gray Sheets for Waste Metal Packaging
The gray cans are found only in some of the authorities in Israel, especially in municipalities where the separation of waste is carried out in the corners and in recycling centers, or in places where there are no orange cans. These cans are designed to collect metal waste. Metal waste includes ferrous and non-ferrous metals, which are recycled by melting in designated ovens in specialized plants. These ovens operate at high temperatures, reaching about 1800 degrees Celsius. The metal waste collected in the gray garbage cans is placed in these ovens, melted and transferred to molds for the casting of new products.
Recycle for waste bottles of 1.5 liters or more
The recycling facilities are designed to recycle waste bottles of 1.5 liters or more, including their corks. In most cases, these are bottles of drinking that do not entitle those who return them to the deposit, other plastic containers and all the traffic jams accompanying them. The various plastic bottles are collected from recycling, undergo a unique compression process and are taken to recycling plants designated for this type of waste. In the recycling plants, the various plastic containers packed with basic washing and sorting processes will be transferred and re-manufactured for re-production of raw material from which various plastic products will be manufactured.
Here are the main types of waste that should be disposed of:
- Drink bottles of 1.5 liters or more
- WASHING MACHINES
- Bleach containers
- Packaging of various detergents
- Toiletry containers such as shampoo, conditioner or liquid soap
Important note: The ALA corporation, whose name is based on most recyclables, is recycled only in bottles of 1.5 liters and above, but each type of plastic waste thrown into the recycling is treated and transferred to the relevant recycling plant.
Cartonia for recycling thick cardboard packaging
The carton is designed for packing only thick cardboard packages. In order to enable efficient collection, the packaging must be flattened prior to disposal. Paper and cardboard together account for 24% of the total waste weight and up to 28% of its volume. Approximately one million tons of paper and cardboard are produced in Israel, which have the highest potential for recycling and reuse. Cartons collected in cartons are mainly used for the re-production of cardboard packaging.
Here are the main types of waste to be dumped into cartons:
- Cardboard packaging of electrical products
- Cardboard packaging for fruits and vegetables
- Cardboard packaging of gifts and toys
Collection facilities for electronic waste
The weight of electronic waste in Israel is approximately 130,000 tons annually, and is constantly increasing. In 2012, a law was enacted to deal with electronic equipment and batteries, which aims to regulate the reuse and reduce the negative environmental effects of the waste of various electrical appliances. Batteries and batteries are not recyclable due to their toxicity, but it is important to treat them in a manner that prevents heavy environmental damage, while other parts of the electronic waste are intended for reuse and recycling.
Here are the main types of waste that should be disposed of to e-waste collection facilities:
- Electrical appliances are broken or old.
- Batteries
- Batteries
The green cans for unsorted waste
The waste disposed of in the green bin is the one that can not be sorted in the recycling facilities and in the various segregated containers mentioned above. Most of the waste collected in green cans is intended for landfilling and not for recycling. At the same time, the green cans are intended for dry waste, and sometimes sorting and recycling processes are also carried out by dumping them onto a conveyor belt, separating the wet sediment, and manual classification according to types of materials to be transferred to the relevant recycling plants.
Here are the main types of waste that should be dumped in the green bin:
- Diapers
- wet wipes
- Non – packaging waste
- Any waste that can not be sorted in the other cans