Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have implemented successful waste sorting and recycling systems, particularly for food waste, with government support and environmentally friendly practices.

Countries like Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have implemented successful waste sorting and recycling systems, with a focus on recycling food waste as livestock feed, and have been able to reduce food waste and promote environmentally friendly practices.

"Implementing practices like reducing paper cup use, recycling newspapers, and differential charging can increase recycling and reduce waste."

Globally, less than 9% of materials are currently being recycled.

"Tokyo is one of the megacities that has completely abandoned waste disposal through the introduction of an integrated approach and the use of two types of recycling."

"Russia is implementing waste recycling projects with a national goal to reduce waste burial by half by 2030, while other countries and cities have also made significant progress in waste management and recycling."

The European Union aims to recycle 55% of its municipal waste by 2025.

The Japanese government has implemented a successful practice of recycling food waste as livestock feed, which is environmentally friendly and provides cheap feed for farmers.

"Bangladesh has banned single-use plastics and is promoting biodegradable alternatives, making it a country with successful practices in waste sorting and recycling."

South Korea's approach to recycling food waste, which includes composting and feeding food waste to livestock, can be applied to other countries to improve their waste sorting and recycling systems.

"Denmark, specifically the city of Copenhagen, has a successful waste management system, having completely abandoned waste disposal through an integrated approach and the use of material and energy recycling."

Germany has the highest household recycling rate, recycling 62% of its plastic waste.

Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have implemented successful waste sorting and recycling systems, particularly for food waste, with government support and environmentally friendly practices.

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Book Lays Bare The West's Wasteful Food Ways

San Francisco's new law mandating that everyone recycle food waste puts the city on the cutting edge of composting.

But in Asia, the practice is commonplace in some countries.

They're a rare bright spot in author Tristram Stuart's new book, Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal.

"In Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, the government in a matter of years has put a lot of energy behind recycling food waste as livestock feed," Stuart tells NPR's Renee Montagne. "It's environmentally friendly, it provides cheap livestock feed for the farmers in those parts of the world, and it avoids sending the food waste to landfill."

Stuart makes the case that much of the developed world is thoughtless when it comes to the production and purchase of food. From fields of imperfect produce to the lettuce you left in the fridge a little too long, vast quantities of food are tossed daily.

There is a more responsible approach, Stuart points out.

"In the United States, under 3 percent of municipal food waste — so that's the food scraps that goes into people's garbage cans — actually gets recycled," he says. "If you go to a place like South Korea, the exact reverse is the case. It's about 3 percent that doesn't get recycled. The rest is recycled through composting and — very largely and very sensibly — through feeding that food waste to livestock."

Stuart says the U.S. has the resources to recycle its food waste as effectively as South Korea does.

"We have the solutions, we know how to do it," he says. "We just need to do it more effectively and across the board."

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Renee Montagne, one of the best-known names in public radio, is a special correspondent and host for NPR News.

Countries like Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have implemented successful waste sorting and recycling systems, with a focus on recycling food waste as livestock feed, and have been able to reduce food waste and promote environmentally friendly practices.

"Implementing practices like reducing paper cup use, recycling newspapers, and differential charging can increase recycling and reduce waste."

Title:

Content: Sunday 04 June 2023
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
Abdurrahim Ali
Editor-in-Chief
Dalia Abdul Rahim
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editorial Board
Abdurrahim Ali
Editor-in-Chief
Dalia Abdul Rahim
NEWS
Egypt ranks 14th in the world and first in the Arab world in terms of recycling rates in 2023
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The Information and Decision Support Center of the Council of Ministers issued a new report entitled "Recycling...
The report highlighted the definition of the recycling process, its key stages, and its economic feasibility, as well as the facts and figures related to the recycling process at the level of Egypt and the world, and the opportunities available to promote recycling within the framework of achieving sustainable development, and the challenges facing it.
The report pointed out that recycling is the process of reprocessing waste, turning it into new products or materials, whether for original or other purposes, and thus the process of collecting and processing materials that were supposed to be disposed of as garbage, and turning them into new products, benefiting society, the economy and the environment. Waste is collected, processed or reprocessed into new products, and the purchase of those products that can be recycled again. Reused materials in the recycling process act as substitutes for raw materials obtained from relatively scarce natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas, coal, minerals, and trees.
In addition, there are two types of recycling: internal recycling, in which the techniques generated by a particular industry are reused and recycled to be used as a new input in the same industry, which is common in the metal industry, for example, the manufacture of copper pipes produces a certain amount of waste that is smelted and reconstituted, and external recycling where materials are reprocessed from a corrosive or obsolete product such as recycling old newspapers into new paper products.
The report stated that the importance of recycling is not only limited to achieving environmental sustainability, but also stands out in achieving economic sustainability as well, and the recycling process has a number of economic benefits, which are:
- Reduce the cost of waste disposal and support the economy and the environment: Recycling contributes to reduce the volume of waste and then save the necessary funds for landfill or incineration and allocate these funds to other projects, and the recycling of food waste and green waste reduces pollution from burning waste, as well as many fertilizers that enhance food security.
It is estimated that burning 10,000 tons of waste provides one job, burying the same amount leads to six jobs, while recycling the same amount creates 36 jobs, and it is also estimated that increasing current recycling rates by 75% will create approximately 3.2 million jobs by 2030.
- Encouraging small enterprises, where recycling creates unlimited opportunities for small industries and enterprises that rely on solid waste sorting outputs from plastic, glass, paper, cloth and other recyclable materials.
- Saving energy and reducing the total costs of production. For example, recycling aluminum cans saves about 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from raw materials, and recycling glass saves about 50% of the energy needed to manufacture glass from raw materials. The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle is enough to light a light bulb. With a capacity of one watt for four hours, which reduces air pollution by 20% and water pollution by 50%, the paper recycling process saves about 60% of the energy needed to make it from raw materials, and the recycling of one ton of paper saves the equivalent of 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water.
Food waste is the largest category of waste, accounting for about 40% of food produced, food waste contributes to about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and dry recyclable materials (plastic, paper, cardboard, metals and glass) account for 38% of total global waste. The report added that plastic bottles need more than 450 years to decompose, and the rate of recycling of bottles in the world in 2020 is about 27.2%, and only 19% of the waste globally is recycled and composted. Asia accounts for more than 50% of global production of recycled aluminum.
Regarding the facts and figures of recycling in Egypt, the report pointed out that Egypt ranked first in the Arab world with 26.6 degrees and 42 globally out of 180 countries in the environmental performance index in terms of recycling for 2022, where it witnessed an improvement over the previous 10 years by 3.8 degrees, and Egypt ranked 14th globally and first in the Arab world in terms of recycling rates for 2023.
More than half of Cairo ’ s waste is collected by the informal sector, which consists of 50,000 waste processors, 150,000 waste collectors, sorters, traders and truck drivers, and about 80% of Cairo ’ s waste is recycled, including 290,000 tons of plastic annually.
The report pointed out that there are opportunities and challenges to achieve sustainable development in this area, where opportunities to enhance recycling operations indicate that recycling contributes significantly to the achievement of sustainable development goals, especially with regard to climate action and environmental conservation, and ensures the conservation of natural resources, through the recovery of existing components and products instead of turning them into waste. Ecosystems: Recycling non-renewable materials reduces environmental pollution, protects natural ecosystems, and provides opportunities to convert entire landfills into green gardens, promoting green transformation, as well as protecting the oceans from pollution, as the oceans are important for producing oxygen (about half of the oxygen we breathe), absorbing heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as well as the dangers posed by heat accumulation in the oceans. Recycling helps reduce the incineration of waste that emits large amounts of gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur and nitrogen. Recycling contributes to reducing the emission of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, as well as improving the quality of life, with many people around the world lacking access to controlled waste collection services or waste disposal facilities. New solid waste management practices through recycling or safe disposal become an essential component of sustainable city management and improved quality of life.
Despite the opportunities of recycling to achieve sustainable development and preserve the environment and natural resources, the expansion of these processes faces many challenges, including the lack of awareness and culture about recycling, where many people lack the necessary culture and information to recycle, despite knowing the positive returns and importance of the environment, as well as ensuring the occupational safety of workers. Some companies or individuals believe that buying recycled products is the same as buying used products but at a full price and sometimes the price of recycled materials is higher than new materials, as well as the need for modern infrastructure and technologies. which needs to be recycled.
The Information and Decision Support Center stressed in its report that Egypt has promising opportunities in the field of recycling, especially in light of the support of the political leadership, legislation and strategies for environmental action, increasing awareness and participation by the private sector and civil society, providing incentives and funding for environmental projects, as well as the establishment of many waste recycling plants.
In addition, Egypt has promising opportunities to inject more investments in the recycling and waste treatment sector, where the total waste produced by Egypt annually is about 90 million tons, and the total volume of recyclable materials is 24.3%, which provides investment opportunities in the field of waste recycling, ensuring economic benefit as well as commitment to environmental responsibility.

Globally, less than 9% of materials are currently being recycled.

Title:

Content: Study: 90 billion euros in potential profits from waste recycling in Italy
Tuesday ، 12 July 2022 04: 23 PM
Waste Recycling
Fatma Shawky
Leave a comment and read the comments of the readers.
A recent study has revealed that the potential profits from recycling waste in Italy would reach 90 billion euros, according to the Italian newspaper "Journal".
The study, conducted by the waste management and recycling sector at the US consultancy Penn & Company, said: “The world annually consumes 1.7 percent of the amount of resources the planet can simultaneously replenish, extracting 100 billion tons of new resources annually, of which only less than 9 percent are recycled. ”
The analysis noted that “this approach is no longer sustainable.
We must therefore seek a circular economy model capable of contributing to the development of European GDP by up to 7% and creating 2 million jobs on the old continent by 2030. ”
Almost 110 million tonnes of waste in Italy alone is devoted each year to recycling (more than 65% of the total waste generated annually), with a turnover exceeding €70 billion in 2022, and a total profit of around €12 billion.
According to the study, the waste recycling business is expected to grow over the next 10 years in Italy by 30%, bringing its profits to €90 billion, with an increase of more than 4 billion, to reach 16 billion by 2030.
In this context, the recycling sector will play a central role in the environmental transformation and the transformation of economic models from linear to circular. ”
“In fact, besides improving the use of resources and reducing waste production, it is necessary to make the collection, management and recycling of packaging materials, goods and products efficient and redesigned, ” the study said.
According to the company ’ s report, over the years Italy has been able to give life to prosperous operations, thanks to the initiative of several companies in it, to recover waste for re-operation of production, because it has always been a country characterized by the scarcity of raw materials, starting with metal and non-metal minerals.
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"Tokyo is one of the megacities that has completely abandoned waste disposal through the introduction of an integrated approach and the use of two types of recycling."

Title:

Content: Society10 September 2021 15: 15
Film-research "Rubbish" will be shown on September 12 on the TV channel Russia 24
The joint project of RT-Invest and the film company Masterskaya calls to think about the problem of waste processing
Ksenia BOGDANOVA
Today, Russia generates more than 60 million tons of municipal solid waste, 93% of which is sent to landfills or illegal landfills.
Photo: frame video.
On the TV channel Russia 24 on Sunday, September 12, a loud premiere is expected: a new film-study “Trash ” offers viewers to think about the scale of the global problem of waste recycling.
The authors of the documentary traveled to ten countries and regions, studying and comparing advanced technologies for garbage disposal.
The lenses of their cameras included both overcrowded landfills and landfills, as well as the most modern enterprises that made the disposal of garbage environmentally friendly and safe.
Humanity consumes more and more goods every day - which means that more and more garbage is sent to the garbage every day.
This is a global challenge that all countries face today.
Together with leading domestic and world experts, the authors of the film “Trash ” investigated the path of waste in Russia, Europe and Asia.
The film was made by the film crew of the film company Masterskaya, a recognized Russian leader in the field of documentary films and popular science films.
The audience is already familiar with their works “President ”,“ The Great Game ”, “Secrets of Death ”,“ Mold ”, “The Death of the Empire ” and many others.
The films of the film company “Masterskaya ” have repeatedly won awards at Russian and foreign festivals.
Assistance in the filming was provided by the company "RT-Invest", founded by the State Corporation Rostec to create in Russia a comprehensive system of solid municipal waste management.
The work of the film crew lasted more than a year.
The authors of the film studied new technologies for recycling garbage in Sweden, France, the UK, China and, of course, in Russia.
- Today, more than 60 million tons of solid municipal waste are generated in Russia, 93% of them are sent to landfills or illegal landfills, - said RT-Invest CEO Andrey Shipelov. - We have a national goal - to reduce the volume of burial by half by 2030.
For the development of the industry, this can be an intermediate goal.
We must strive to build a sustainable MSW management system that will enable us to achieve zero disposal in major cities.
There are already examples in the world.
Eleven of the world ’ s megacities – Singapore, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin, Brussels, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Zurich and Oslo – have completely abandoned waste disposal through the introduction of an integrated approach and the use of two types of recycling: material and energy.
More than thirty experts took part in the filming of the picture - scientists, environmentalists, activists, representatives of processing companies.
One of the experts, a leading researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Anatoly Yamskov suggests that the future generation will judge us by monstrous deposits of garbage.
Rubbish is the key to knowing the past.
It reconstructs the entire material component of life.
If in 100-150 years people unearth any of the modern landfills, they will understand that we, their ancestors, were monstrously wasteful, - says Yamskov.
The authors of the film remind: every minute people around the world buy about two tons of new clothes.
At the same time, 60 trucks with the old one are sent to the dump every minute.
Every second, consumers open 4,000 cans, and at the same time throw away 12,000 empty bottles.
The movie “Trash ” makes you wonder: where will all this waste go?
Which of these can be recycled and used again?
Recall that the company "RT-Invest" was established in 2012 with the participation of the state corporation Rostec.
The company invests in the sectors of advanced industrial technologies in Russia and abroad.
The main task of RT-Invest is to create a comprehensive waste management system in our country based on leading Russian and foreign practices.
Within the framework of the project "Energy from Waste", RT-Invest is building four modern enterprises for thermal processing of waste into energy in the Moscow region and one plant in Tatarstan.
Trailer of the documentary film “Rubbish ”
Russia 24.
Journalistic investigation of waste processing problems
Watch the film "Rubbish" on the TV channel Russia 24 on Sunday, September 12.

"Russia is implementing waste recycling projects with a national goal to reduce waste burial by half by 2030, while other countries and cities have also made significant progress in waste management and recycling."

The European Union aims to recycle 55% of its municipal waste by 2025.

Title:

Content:
Driving Sustainability: Trends And Technologies In The Waste Collection Vehicle Market

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)

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Waste Collection Vehicle Market Size, Share Report by Loader Type, Vehicle Propulsion: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032

NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE, UNITED STATES, January 29, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- Waste collection vehicle, also known as garbage collection vehicle, dustbin lorry, bin van, bin lorry, trash truck, is used to collect garbage from various places in the city and dump/transport it to a landfill or a waste management center. This vehicle may differ in size and design country to country, as this is available with separate covered compartments for dry and wet garbage. Some of these vehicles are equipped with hydraulic systems for lifting and dumping the trash in the landfill or at the garbage collection center.

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Increasing amount of waste driven by increasing population and urbanization, growing focus towards effective waste management are some factors expected to drive the global waste collection vehicle market during the forecast period. According to The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, India, per capita waste generation ranges between 0.2 Kg to 0.6 Kg per day in cities with population ranging from 1.0 lakh to 50 lakh. Furthermore, the integrated solid waste management system is also used on a large scale globally. It is basically defined as a strategic method for management of solid wastes, that covers all sources and aspects, covers generation, separation, transfer, sorting, treatment, recovery, and dumping in a prescribed manner.

In addition, the government initiatives towards clean environment are also propelling the demand for waste collection vehicles globally. For instance, EU countries have decided to recycle at least 55% of its municipal waste by 2025, 60% by 2030, and 65% by 2035. These countries also decided to manage the landfill issues by reducing it to 10% or less by 2035. However, slow and no adoption in underdeveloped countries and high capital investment is expected to hinder the market growth during the forecast period.

Automation in Vehicle Design
With the increasing demand for waste collection and management, the vehicle manufacturers are investing in new-age technologies such as vehicle tracking, IoT, radio-frequency identification to ease the waste collection process. Technoton, European advanced machinery telematics provider, offers garbage truck monitoring system that monitors the garbage level in the vehicle and track locations for garbage loading and unloading. It also helps to control unauthorized dumping of garbage.

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Segment Overview
By loader type: The waste collection vehicle market is categorized by loader type; front loaders, rear loaders, automated side loaders, and others. Front loader vehicles are equipped with hydraulic forks on the front to lift up the garbage bin by using slots on the sides. Rear loaders can be used for any kind of collection whether it is garbage, soil and others. The automated side loaders are mainly used for residential routes. An automated arm is controlled by driver from inside the truck. The arm grabs the trash and dumps it in the truck.
By technology: The waste collection vehicle market is segmented by technology; manual and automated.
By vehicle type: The waste collection vehicle market is divided by vehicle type; light duty vehicles, medium duty vehicles, and heavy duty vehicles. The demand for medium duty vehicles is growing constantly due to increased usage of trucks for delivery, pick-up, small dump, and lighter garbage collection applications. These trucks are gaining momentum due to their short turning radius of around 10-15 meter and greater visibility.
By vehicle propulsion: The waste collection vehicle market is categorized by vehicle propulsion; internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric. ICE vehicles are equipped with heat engines. It sometimes also known as gas powered vehicles. Electric vehicles are either partially or fully powered on electric power.
By end-use: The waste collection vehicle market is categorized by; municipal, industrial, and others.

Regional Overview
Asia-Pacific has a considerable market share in waste collection vehicle market, due to increasing population and urbanization. According to World Bank, East AsiaPacific is expected to generate 602 million tons of waste per year by 2030, followed by South Asia with 466 million tons waste per year. However, Middle East and Africa is expected to be the fastest growing region in terms of waste generation due to increasing industrialization and tourist's footprint. Thus, the industry players are striving to expand their business in these markets to capture large pie of the market. For instance, in 2021, Terberg RosRoca Vehicle Manufacturing Company inaugurated a modern manufacturing facility in Dubai industrial city. It is aimed at providing products and services in UAE along with support operations in adjacent GCC countries.

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Competitive Analysis
Competitive analysis and profiles of the major players in the waste collection vehicle market such as AMA S.P.A., EcoZeta S.R.L., EnviornmentalSolutionsGroup, Fratelli Mazzocchia S.P.A., and others.

Companies are focusing on merger & acquisitions and establishment of new manufacturing facilities to expand their market reach. For instance, in April 2022, Heil Environmental acquired Canada-based Boivin Evolution Inc., which specializes in designing and manufacturing all types of all-electric refuse collection bodies, to enter the fully electric automated side loader market.

Key Market Players
.FAUN Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co. KG
.Bridgeport Manufacturing
.Curbtender Sweepers, LLC
.Heil Environmental
.Ceec Trucks Industry Co. Limited
.IVECO S.p.A
.Haul-All Equipment Ltd.
.Geesink B.V.
.Terberg RosRoca Vehicle Manufacturing LLC
.EZ Pack

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Allied Market Research
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The Japanese government has implemented a successful practice of recycling food waste as livestock feed, which is environmentally friendly and provides cheap feed for farmers.

"Bangladesh has banned single-use plastics and is promoting biodegradable alternatives, making it a country with successful practices in waste sorting and recycling."

Title:

Content: 2.
Expo 2020 Dubai Today
Expo Champions Fight Waste
At Expo 2020 Dubai, there are plenty of exciting stories to inspire visitors. The UAE World Expo has given visitors the opportunity to embark on a sustainability-driven tour, exploring how countries around the world are ‘ champions of the fight against waste ’ through a range of active initiatives.
From vertical farming to biodegradable alternatives, from sipping coffee in edible cups to transforming food waste into luxury foods, Expo 2020 participants are leading the way towards a more sustainable planet, highlighting the increasingly urgent need to build a world based on reducing overconsumption, reusability, and circular consumption and production.
A number of country pavilions across the Expo 2020 site highlight their pioneering efforts to tackle excessive consumption and production and manage resources sustainably, a self-guided tour of the Expo 2020 mobile app is focusing on.
The Austria Pavilion is a startup that collects food waste into luxury food and other cuisines, highlighting the need for reusability. Visitors to the Bulgaria Pavilion can sip coffee from edible cups and learn about biodegradable packaging.
Finland dazzles visitors with its vertical farming system and zero-waste farming techniques, based on the circular economy principles reviewed by the Scandinavian Pavilion, while Bangladesh showcases how its ban on single-use plastics has paved the way for newer biodegradable alternatives in various fields.
The pavilion will highlight the country ’ s journey towards a sustainable future through efficient recycling of plastics and other waste materials, while the pavilion will introduce visitors to the services of the country ’ s unique urban system, which uses a network of decentralized plants to ensure more sustainable water, energy, food and waste management in the city.
Running from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 and coinciding with the UAE ’ s Golden Jubilee, Expo 2020 will bring the world together under the theme ‘ Connecting Minds, Creating the Future ’, inviting over 200 participants and millions of visitors from around the world to create a new world together and learn how we can ensure an equitable and inclusive future, leaving a lasting legacy of positive change.
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South Korea's approach to recycling food waste, which includes composting and feeding food waste to livestock, can be applied to other countries to improve their waste sorting and recycling systems.

"Denmark, specifically the city of Copenhagen, has a successful waste management system, having completely abandoned waste disposal through an integrated approach and the use of material and energy recycling."

Germany has the highest household recycling rate, recycling 62% of its plastic waste.

Title:

Content:
Plastic labeling needs 'sustainability scale,' says new report

Labeling of plastic products needs a drastic overhaul, including a new "sustainability scale" to help consumers, researchers say.

Plastic pollution is a growing global problem, with an increasingly complex mix of plastics found everywhere from the Arctic to Mount Everest.

Simplistic, unhelpful labeling and low recycling rates even in the best-equipped countries are major barriers to tackling this issue.

In a new paper, experts from the University of Exeter and the University of Queensland suggest a new internationally applicable labeling system that moves focus from recyclability to sustainability, is specific to the country and region of purchase, and informs the public about plastic additive content.

"We need to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices," said first author Stephen Burrows.

"Instead of 'yes-no' recycling labels, which are often misleading, a 'sustainability scale' could take account of recyclability but also other factors such as the environmental cost of production and potential human health risks from additives.

"Requiring packaging to carry region-specific directions for disposal would shift responsibility away from consumers and towards regulators and plastic producers.

"This is vital because the mix of plastic products is so complex and confusing, industry must be responsible for clear, accurate and accessible instructions on how best to dispose of plastic items.

"The same is true for the chemical additives found in many plastics. These chemicals are added to plastics to give them certain properties such as color, flexibility and fire resistance.

"Requiring producers to list all additives would be a major step towards informing the public and helping them make decisions regarding environmental impact and human health."

The researchers stress that their recommendations should not detract from the urgent need to use less plastic—especially single-use items.

At present, about 368 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide each year.

Estimates of recycling rates vary dramatically. For example, Germany recycles 62% of its plastic waste—well above the European average of 30%.

Meanwhile, China recycles an estimated 25%, while the figure in the USA is just 8%.

Professor Tamara Galloway, from the University of Exeter, said, "Our recommendations for a sustainability scale are designed to reduce some of the confusion around plastic disposal.

"The ultimate aim is to protect the environment and human health from the harmful effects of plastic waste."

Professor Kevin Thomas, from The University of Queensland's Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences and Minderoo Centre for Plastics and Human Health, said, "We hope that our recommendations initiate a reassessment of plastics labeling and that implementation of a sustainability scale will allow individuals to make informed decisions in how they use plastics.

"This is just one small necessary step towards helping people help the environment."

Coffee cup conundrum

Speaking about consumer confusion, Burrows gave the example of PLA (polylactic acid) bioplastic single-use coffee cups.

Many such cups are now labeled as recyclable and compostable—but these are separate processes.

Depending on the composition of the cup, it might be recyclable, but it depends on whether local facilities are equipped to process PLA. So it may not be suitable for your recycling bin.

It might also be compostable—although many such cups can only be broken down in an industrial composter (not in a garden compost heap). So if thrown in general waste, it will end up as more in landfill.

"If someone uses one of these cups then sees a green recycling bin and a 'general waste' bin, where should they put it?" said Burrows.

"Most people don't know, and in fact the answer may depend on several factors not usually indicated.

"Our suggestions for a new system based around a scale are designed to tackle this confusion."

The research team included the University of Bath.

Explore further

Plastic recycling shouldn't be an end in itself

More information: Stephen D. Burrows et al, The message on the bottle: Rethinking plastic labelling to better encourage sustainable use, Environmental Science & Policy (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2022.02.015
Citation: Plastic labeling needs 'sustainability scale,' says new report (2022, February 28) retrieved 28 February 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-02-plastic-sustainability-scale.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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