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Compost and organic trash/how it works and how to apply

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When we talk about reducing what we are saying is that we must try to reduce or simplify the consumption of direct products, that is, everything that is bought and consumed, since this has a direct relationship with waste, at the same time that it also has it with our pocket. Here you have some examples:

1. Rule of 3rs: reduce

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If you want to start carrying out sustainable practices, we recommend you start with a very simple one. It is easy to learn and to carry out. In a nutshell, the 3Rs help you throw less trash, save money and be a more responsible consumer, thus reducing your carbon footprint. And best of all, it is very easy to follow, since it only has three steps: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Unit 15.1: Rule of 3rs

EXEMPLE 2:Personal and intimate hygiene products. Today there are many options that allow reusing this type of product. For example, razor blades, sanitary pads, diapers or tissues.

EXEMPLE 1:Water use. Some waters that you use at home can be used for more than one purpose. For example, you can use the cooking water from certain foods to cook other dishes. If you store rainwater, you can later reuse it to water your plants or orchards.

By saying re-use, we are referring to being able to reuse things and give them the greatest possible use before the time comes to get rid of them, since by reducing the volume of the trash. This task is usually the one that receives the least attention and is one of the most important, which also helps a lot home economy. Here you have some examples:

2. Rule of 3rs: reuse

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3. 3. Rule of 3rs: recycle

The last task is recycle, which consists of the process of subjecting the materials to a process in which they can be reused, truly significantly reducing the use of new materials, and with it, more trash in the future.The societies of the world have always produced waste, but it is now, in the consumer society, when the volume of garbage has grown exorbitantly. In addition, its toxicity has increased to the point of becoming a very serious problem. We are immersed in the throwaway culture, and in the trash every day there are the resources that we will soon miss.For example, in Mexico, each citizen generates on average 1kg. from trash per day, which gives 365 kg. per person per year, and in turn 40.150.000.000 kg. This trash domestic waste ends up in landfills, ravines, in the street and sometimes in incinerators.Good part of that trash, 60% of the volume, is made up of containers and packaging, mostly single-use, normally manufactured from non-renewable raw materials, or that, even though they are renewable, are being exploited at a rate higher than their regeneration (p. Ex. The wood for the manufacture of cellulose), and hardly recyclable once they have been used.To the above we have to add that at home there are also waste derivatives of paints, solvents, insecticides, cleaning products. All this trash can be taken to landfills, but it occupies a lot of land and contaminates soils and waters.Incineration is not the solution either since they emit contaminants atmospheric and highly toxic ash and slag are produced.The different countries and local administrations make available to the citizen different mechanisms to recycle the different types of waste. The most used mechanism is to use different containers in the street so that the citizen is the one who carries out the first separation of the waste.

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In other countries and in some parts of Spain, instead of containers it exists the door to door system, which consists in leaving out refuse for municipal collectors outside your front door, on given days and at given times for each fraction. The advantages and drawbacks between its system and the containers are:

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This are the main containers available for example in Spain. The language colour is more or less the same in all the countries but we recommend you to check it before start recycling. - Light packaging: for PET bottles, aluminium cans, and other packaging. - Paper – cardboard: for newspapers, carton boxes… - Glass: for glass packaging - Organic waste: for not consumed food and small garden organic waste (leaves, small branches, grass…) - Non-segregated fraction: for all the things that can not be thrown in the containers mentioned. With the exception of dangerous materials, which must be taken to a special point for its recycling.

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4. Rule of 3rs: next steps

Today, it is possible to go further and also work on other 4 Rs: rethink, repair, refurbish and recover. - Rethink: Rethink, or redesign is about not taking anything for granted. Ecology and environmental concerns should be part of the design process to manufacture products that are more sustainable. It is not only about functionalities, but also about the raw material, the packaging, etc. - Repair: While recycling means a different use, repair is simply about taking what is broken and putting it again into service thanks to putting it back into good conditions. - Refurbish: Everything doesn’t need to be brand new, and vintage is actually fashion. So why not joining the move? Refurbish is mostly applied to building, taking some old premises to renovate them. But it can also be applied to other things, such as old pieces of furniture, and any old good that will be transformed to become a modern item. - Recover: Recovery offer a similar approach, while focusing mostly on resources. In recovery, people use wastes as an input material to create valuable products as new outputs. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste generated, therefore reducing the need for landfill space and also extracting maximum value from waste.

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MODULE 15: Sustainability and green economy

¡You have successfully completed Unit 15.1!