May 17th is Recycling Day! Understand the date

Established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) , May 17th was designated as International Recycling Day. The date aims to encourage reflection on the importance of correctly disposing of objects that are consumed. Brazil stands out for being one of the nations that produces the most and recycles the least solid waste. According to a study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) , Brazil is the fourth largest producer of plastic waste in the world: of the 11.3 tons it produces annually, only 1.28% is destined for recycling. According to other data released by the Brazilian Association of Public Cleaning and Special Waste Companies (Abrelpe) , Brazil loses R$14 billion per year due to the lack of adequate waste recycling . This amounts to approximately 12 million tons of solid waste that, instead of generating employment and income, end up being discarded into the environment. And this lack of proper recycling leads to another difficult-to-solve issue: when disposed of in landfills, this solid waste emits greenhouse gases (GHG) , mainly methane. It is important to note that some materials take years or decades to decompose, such as disposable materials.

Therefore, to make May 17th a day of awareness and learning, we have put together 4 tips for proper disposal! 1. Check whether the material can be recycled or should be used as organic waste.

• Organic waste (food scraps, leaves and seeds) can be composted;
• Solid waste (plastics, glass, metals, electronic waste, paper... everything that is not of biological origin) must be recycled.

2. Sanitize recyclable materials that contain organic waste, that is, remove the excess with a napkin, a spoon or with a little water. This makes the work of the cooperatives easier and prevents insects from appearing at the collection points. 3. Be informed about the selective collection services in your condominium, neighborhood or municipality. 4. Remember the colors corresponding to the main recyclable material collection boxes to correctly deposit the waste: yellow: metal, green: glass, red: plastic, and blue: paper.