How to bring sustainability into your home?

We often have the impression that being sustainable outside, at work, in malls, in parks and similar places is much easier than at home. After all, there are established structures dedicated to this goal, such as colored garbage cans for selective collection, reminders on signs, laws and campaigns, among other measures.

But to build a truly sustainable world, we need to protect the environment 100% of the time. And the way we face this challenge is a little different now since much of the working population has moved to a home office or hybrid model, in which some days we work from home and on other days in person at the office, causing an increase in the production of household waste.

To have an idea, according to Abrelpe, the Brazilian Association of Companies for Public Cleaning and Special Waste, each Brazilian produces, on average, 1kg of waste per day. Therefore, acquiring some habits regarding the management of this waste, such as separation, is essential to strengthening recycling, the circular economy, and sustainability.

Separation and proper disposal of household waste

1. Recyclables x Organics

Recyclables should not be mixed with organics. Papers with organic material, such as greasy pizza boxes, are not intended for recycling.

2. Plastics

Preferably, sanitize plastics before disposing of them. Use green or blue transparent bags so that the collectors can identify what kind of waste is inside. This applies to PET bottles, disposable utensils, toys, car bumpers, lotion and shampoo jars, packaging and cleaning products, plastic bags and sacks, PVC tubes and pipes, plasticized, metallized or paraffin paper, such as biscuit packaging, cookie packaging, and other plastic materials.

But remember: not all plastic is recycled in Brazil today. Foam, adhesives, pot handles and metallized plastics are some examples.

3. Selective collection garbage cans at home

Have colorful garbage cans for selective collection at home to make waste separation more practical and natural.

4. Selective collection

Many residential condominiums have selective collection, which greatly facilitates the waste’s path to recycling. Many houses, however, do not have this resource and depend on public power. If your city does not have selective collection, the ideal solution is to contact your city hall to ask about collection sites and cooperatives where you can deposit your waste. Another alternative is to look for initiatives in commercial establishments, such as supermarkets and other retailers: many chains have space for depositing recyclable waste.

Valgroup is one of the largest producers, transformers and recyclers of plastic in the world and works to bring more and more innovation and sustainability to its solutions in plastic packaging, besides having effective initiatives to contribute to the construction of a more sustainable world.

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