What to do with single-use masks? And ways to lower waste and recycle
Because of the pandemic, millions of people wear single-use masks each day, but many people throw them away carelessly in the streets, not knowing how it will affect the environment. Here is how you can dispose of them safely, and other tips on how to live a more sustainable and environment-friendly life.
Most common recycling mistakes people make
- When you can choose between a plastic bottle or a metal can, pick the metal option, as it can be recycled easier than plastic.
- Although paper bags need trees to be cut down in order to be made, they are still more environmentally friendly, as they can be recycled indefinitely, without losing much of its quality, while plastic bags can be recycled only once or twice maximum, and their quality worsens in the process. Another good alternative to single-use plastic bags is a canvas bag – it takes way more resources to make a canvas bag than a plastic one; however, they can be used for many years, and in case they rip, they can easily be fixed with a few stitches; they also decompose significantly easier and quicker than plastic.
- Rinse plastic bottles, containers, and milk boxes before throwing them in the trash. Make sure to also check the label on them so that you know you can actually put them in the recycling bin. However, when it comes to oil bottles or containers, do not rinse them but simply throw them in the regular trash, as the oil down the drain would harm aquatic creatures and wildlife. Rinsing bottles is also important because if there is any liquid still in them, it could contaminate the other materials beside it, making them unfit for recycling.
- Shredded or smaller pieces of paper are harder to sort through and recycle. Many times, glossy or coloured paper cannot be recycled, so check any labels on their packaging to make sure you throw them in the correct bin.
- The plastic caps of bottles should either be removed and thrown into the trash, or after removal, all the air should be squeezed out of the bottle, and the lid should be put back on. Bottles with air trapped inside them are much harder to recycle and might use up more energy than necessary.
- Disposable coffee cups, chips bags, toothpaste tubes, tissues, and the containers of microwavable meals cannot be recycled.
- During autumn and winter, many take supplementary vitamins, but they might not know that many of these bottles are manufactured differently and so cannot be recycled with other plastics. Always make sure to check the label. And what about vitamins and pills that come in blister or bubble packs? Because these packagings are made of plastic and tin foil, two components that cannot be recycled together, you should not throw them in the recycle bin.
Food waste
Those who have compost in their home or closely available to them should not throw fruit and vegetable peel or eggshells into their trash. Other compostable things include coffee grounds, grass clippings, fallen leaves, tea leaves, rinds of melons and citrus, old vegetables that cannot be eaten, fallen flowers and dead plants, plain rice and pasta, herbs and spices, corn cobs and broccoli stalks, sawdust and nutshells.
Old clothes
If you have clothes you do not need or wear anymore, you can either try selling them or donating them to charities or thrift shops. If they are torn and cannot be worn anymore, you can check if there is a textile collection near you, but H&M has an option in many countries where you can bring in old textiles and clothes, and they will forward them to the appropriate places to be recycled.
Single-use face masks
When disposing of your face mask, make sure to cut the strap before throwing it away, this will ensure that no animal gets entangled in it, and it will not harm the wildlife. Many experts suggest double-bagging your used mask, to make sure the infection does not spread. And never put them in the recycling bin.
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Source: Daily News Hungary