What is the biggest problem?
As much as 30.4% of rubbish in the black mixed waste container is bio-waste.
BIO waste – what do we throw away?
Kitchen scraps (without animal products) and natural waste should go into the brown container marked as BIO. If there is no such container in your housing estate, notify your administrator. There are five fractions of waste segregation in Wroclaw.
What else besides kitchen waste?
Paper, cardboard and plastics also account for almost 30% together. These are the materials that should be recovered in the recycling process. By segregating them correctly, we give them a chance to be used.
Glass accounts for as much as 8.5%. Mixed rubbish includes recyclable jars or bottles. Please remember that glassware should be free of residual liquids or food, and paper labels do not need to be removed.
Mixed waste – what to throw away?
Mixed waste is the waste that cannot be assigned to any category of segregated waste. These include used hygiene items, very dirty food packaging, food remnants and items made of multiple materials that are difficult to separate. Broken dishes, used wipes, vacuum bags or hair also go into this category.
No segregation? You will pay more
Failure to segregate rubbish leads to serious environmental consequences, such as increased soil, water and air pollution and faster depletion of natural resources. But it also costs us dearly...
Residents who do not comply with the rules of segregation will pay double the rate for waste collection, which may significantly charge their household budget. It is worth remembering that the separate collection of municipal waste is our statutory obligation. This is regulated by the Act on Maintenance of Cleanliness and Order in Municipalities. It clearly stipulates that if the waste collector notices any abnormalities in segregation, it has to notify the city and the property owner. Consequently, tax proceedings are initiated, which may result in the imposition of an increased waste management fee.
Weronika Urbańska, PhD, Wroclaw University of Technology: We need to communicate clearly that every step of segregation matters and that waste segregated at source is easier to recycle. An effective segregation system requires not only education but also enforcement. It is good to consider the introduction of more effective control and sanction mechanisms. Please keep in mind that failure to separate waste is a recipe for even higher waste neutralisation fees, which are unavoidable, and a reduced chance of reprocessing.
