What means separate collection of packaging waste?
In order to be recycled, the recyclable packaging waste should be separated from the non-recyclables. The most effective way to separate is to separate when the packaging becomes waste, that means after the use of the products. This is called separation at the source.
The separation at source prevents soiling the recyclable materials and allows their implementation in the production of various products with better quality.
What is a separate waste collection system?
The system for separate waste collection consists of:
- containers for separate waste collection;
- vehicles that service the containers;
- waste treatment installations.
The containers for separate waste collection, that are settled and serviced by Bulecopack, are two types- “top-opening” type with volume 1100 litre and “Igloo” with volume from 1100 to 2500 litre.
In most municipalities there is a two-color system which consists of yellow container for paper, plastic and metal packaging waste and a green container for glass packaging waste.
Only in Samokov and Dola Banya the system is three-color, where the paper and cardboard packaging waste is disposed of in the blue container.
Separate waste collection containers are serviced by specialized vehicles. The waste is then transported to sites for further treatment.
On the treatment sites the waste passes through the following operations:
1. Sorting.
By this process, the waste collected from the containers is being sorted and thus the recyclable waste is being separated. In waste sorting systems the waste is manually separated to:
- Paper and cardboard;
- Glass;
- Polymers: PET; PP; LDPE; HDPE; Other plastics;
- Black and color metals;
- Composite packaging;
- Non-recyclables- household waste.
2. Baling.
Baling recyclable waste makes its further transport easier. Baling means gathering maximum quantity of waste in minimum volume. Only packaging from paper, plastics, metals and composite packaging can be baled.
3. Crushing and removing contaminations from glass waste.
The waste from the green containers should be treated separately from those from the yellow containers. On a specialized sorting system they are manually separated, crushed and electronically purified from contaminations and thus we receive glass cullet with 99.9% purity.
After the treatment, the wastes are being processed and recycled in recycling plants.
More information about recycling of the different materials you can find here.
