Waste Management Act
MOONPRINT’S QUICK GUIDE TO RECYCLING
1. Separate your waste – keep dry from wet, important! Paper, especially, should be DRY.
2. Throw bottles in a box. Take the caps off, plastic cap to go to the plastic bin.
- beverage bottles
- food jars such as tomato sauce, jam and mayonnaise bottles
- NO drinking glasses or light bulbs
3. Throw paper in another box
- news papers
- office papers
- flattened carton boxes (including cereal boxes)
- egg cartons
- old memos, letters, invoices
- computer paper
- windowless envelopes
- magazines and old books
4. Throw clean plastic and polystyrene in its own bag – no food! – Please see below for specific instructions on plastic recycling…
- plastic knives and forks
- styrofoam cups (the non-biodegradable cups)
- yoghurt tubs and salad dressing bottles
- shampoo and lotion bottles
- shopping bags
- tetrapaks
- clothing softener bottles
- household cleaners
- shopping bags
5. Throw metals in another box
- beer and cold drink cans
- food tins
- metal lids of glass jars
- Aluminium foil and foil packaging
- metal bottle caps
- SOME paint tins and aerosol cans (leave labels on them so recyclers can see whether they contain hazardous material).
6. Non-recyclable stuff includes:
- sweets and chips bags
- waxed paper
- soiled paper, such as pizza and frozen food boxes
- mirrors (made from mixed materials)
- aerosol cans (some, rather through away if not sure)
- dog food and cement packets
- sugar and flour packets
- carbon paper
- wrapping paper that is laminated or contains foreign materials such as foil-coatings or glitter
- photographic film
- microwave containers
- thermal fax paper,
- Aluminium foil boxes and binders
- treated or contaminated wood – wood treated with preservatives or attached to other materials like sheetrock or window glass
- dishware
- vinyl
- disposable diapers,
- fibreglass,
- foam materials,
- plastics attached to other materials such as kitchenware or auto parts
- window glass
- light bulbs
- ashes,
- animal faeces and carcasses
- dirt,
- insulation
- … and anything you are not sure of
PLASTICS: PET, polystyrene, tetrapak, et cetera
There are seven (7) classes of plastics. Best is if they are kept apart, but could in a household set-up be placed in one bag, later to be sorted at the recycling facility.
If you look on the plastic bottle/container, you should see a triangle with a number in it, ranging from 1 – 7. This indicates the kind of plastic you’re dealing with.
1. PET (PolythyleneTerephtalate) – this includes:
- Colddrink bottles
- Juice and water bottles
- Jars – peanutbutter, oils, cosmetics and some household cleaners
- Some food trays
2. PE-HD (High Density Polythylene) – this includes:
- Milk bottles
- Bags
- Film
- Juice bottles
- Household containers
- Shampoo
3. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) – this includes:
- Bottles
- Clear trays (toiletries and food)
4. PE-LD (Low Density Polyethylene) – this includes:
- Frozen vegetable bags
- Soft squeezable bottles
- Bags
- Milk sachets
- Consumer bags – boutique
5. PP (Polypropylene) – this includes:
- Bottles – detergents and toiletires
- Bottle tops and closures
- Yoghurt cups
- Margarine tubs
- Ice-cream containers
6. PS (Polystyrene) – this includes:
- Cutlery, cups
- Yoghurt and cottage cheese containers
- Clear salad containers
- Television sets
- Computers containers
- CD boxes
- Make-up containers
- Cups, bowls, plates
- Trays
- Clamshells, meat trays
- Egg cartons
- Protective packaging
7. Other
- Mostly engineering plastics
Unexeptable plastics:
- Any plastic that doesn’t have the polymer identification code on it
- Mixed polymers
- Pet bottles covered in PVC labelling
- Items:
• Warm water bottles
• Toys
• Chips bags
Carbon Footprint Calculator
