El reciclaje es un hábito que muchos hogares españoles ya han integrado en su día a día. En concreto, aproximadamente 8 de cada 10 personas afirman separar sus residuos en el ámbito doméstico. Pero este dato puede llegar a resultar engañoso, porque todavía hay un gran número de personas que no lo hacen correctamente o que incluso no se atreven a ello precisamente por temor a equivocarse al reciclar residuos domésticos.

In fact, in our country there are as many as five different colors for sorting trash, so it’s natural to have questions about which bin each item should go into. That’s why at CULMIA we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to recycling household waste that will help clear up any doubts and make this process simple and practical.

Reasons to Get Involved in Recycling Household Waste

Each year, every Spaniard generates 467 kg of trash. Or, to put it another way , 1.27 kg per day. But of all this waste, only 38.6% is reused through recycling, meaning that 13.5 million metric tons a year end up in incinerators or landfills. This has environmental, social, economic, and even health implications.

By choosing to recycle in their daily lives, citizens reduce their environmental footprint and promote the circular economy so that, together, we can create a more sustainable world. This is primarily because recycling household waste offers these key benefits:

• Materials are reused, and their life cycle is extended.
• Pollution associated with the production of raw materials is reduced.
• It saves on the water and energy used to transport the raw materials needed to create new products.
• We are fighting the overexploitation of —a problem that worsens with each passing year.
• Jobs are being created, because in 2021 there were 7,800 people employed in the waste recycling sector, with a total of 340 companies managing it.
• It contributes to a circular economy that promotes the sustainable production of goods and works to reduce the economic costs associated with consumption.
• Innovation is encouraged, as research is continually conducted to find new methods for recycling and reusing waste materials.

Tips for Recycling Waste at Home

Learn About the Five Types of Trash

You’ve probably wondered many times which bin to throw away the container you just used. The first step to recycling properly and making the whole process easier is to sort your waste correctly and put it in the appropriate bin.

Well, this is the typical distribution in Spain:

Yellow bin. It is used to dispose of food containers and packaging. This includes: plastic, aluminum, and metal containers (such as soda cans and food cans), cartons (including those made of cardboard for milk, juice, or sauces), lids and caps from plastic bottles, food trays, etc.

Blue container. It is used for disposing of paper and cardboard, provided they are not soiled. Therefore, it does not include food packaging, which, as we have just seen, goes in the yellow bin. The most common items include magazine and newspaper pages, paper packaging and bags, paper cups, egg cartons, products made from molded cellulose fiber, etc.

Green bin. This is the designated area for disposing of glass items, such as bottles, vials, or jars. It is important to note that this is not the container for crystal or ceramics, as these items (light bulbs, plates, ashtrays, etc.) must be taken to a recycling center.

Brown bin. This is where we should dispose of all the organic waste we generate. That is, food scraps (peels, seeds, bones, oil, etc.), plant waste, waste from natural materials (such as cotton and gauze garments, animal products, or remains of dead animals), and soiled paper and cardboard waste (such as napkins or paper towels).

Gray container. The last bin is for waste that, due to its nature, cannot be recycled in any way. It includes pacifiers, sanitary pads, hair, cigarette butts, dust, ceramics, glass, diapers, kitchen utensils, and baby bottles.

Use recycling centers and SIGRE collection points

In addition to the five types of containers mentioned above, residents also have access to recycling centers (known in some places as Ecocentros, Ecoparques, Puntos Verdes, etc.) to dispose of certain types of waste that are not included in curbside collection. These are typically managed by the municipality and can be found at fixed locations (permanent collection points), mobile locations (on collection vehicles operating on specific schedules), or at partner sites (private locations that provide this service in partnership with the city government).

Specifically, recycling centers are facilities designed to handle materials that cannot be placed in traditional trash cans, such as:

• Non-recyclable waste: plastic that is not packaging (such as toys), scrap metal, metals, electrical cables, flat glass, construction debris, yard waste, cooking oil, non-compostable coffee pods, or tires.
• Waste that can be reused or repurposed in some way: cava/champagne bottles, clothing, shoes, furniture, large appliances, electrical and electronic devices, ink cartridges, toner cartridges, etc.
• Hazardous or highly polluting waste: paints and varnishes, batteries, X-rays, light bulbs and fluorescent tubes, aerosols and sprays, motor oil, solvents, etc.

And along with them, we should also mention the SIGRE collection points. These are containers found in more than 22,000 pharmacies throughout Spain to facilitate the disposal or recycling of all products and materials associated with medications: expired or unused medications, medication boxes, empty packaging, etc. This does not include other items, such as needles, COVID-19 tests, face masks, X-rays, chemicals, gauze, or thermometers.

Sort waste into separate bins and bags

We are the first ones who need to make it easy for ourselves to recycle household waste. In fact, physically separating the different bins or bags will help us dispose of each item properly, since we’ll quickly learn where everything goes and will be able to recycle almost without realizing it.

To do this, it’s a good idea to have a bin in the kitchen with different compartments so you can place the bag of the corresponding color in each one. If we do this, we’ll save space and keep everything organized in one place.

Recycle in the bathroom, too

It’s common to use the toilet as a large trash can where you can throw away all kinds of waste. However, this is a mistake, because it is not the best place to dispose of items such as tampons and pads, cotton swabs, used wipes, condoms, medications, band-aids, or dental floss, cigarette butts, bleach or ammonia, paint, solvents, or organic waste.

The problem is that all these items cause major clogs in sewer systems, which imposes a high cost on cities’ sanitation systems. Therefore, the best solution is to have a specific container in the bathroom for this type of waste that allows us to sort it properly.

Read the labels and packaging

If we understand the different types of recycling bins available, knowing the origin and composition of products will make recycling waste much easier. That’s why checking the label and packaging is always a good idea if we’re unsure where each item should go, since they often contain very useful information or even directly indicate the best way to recycle or dispose of it.

Clean food containers (just enough) before throwing them away

Currently, it is not necessary to thoroughly clean recyclable containers and packaging, such as those we place in the yellow bin. The reason is that these items typically undergo an industrial cleaning process before being recycled, so cleaning them beforehand may end up being an unnecessary waste of water.

This way, we can do it if the waste is only slightly dirty and we don’t need to use a lot of water. And for containers with one dirty part and one clean part—such as a pizza box—the best approach is to place each part in the appropriate bin: the dirty part in the organic waste bin and the clean part in the cardboard (blue) bin.

Take up as little space as possible

When recycling, to make transportation easier, it’s a good idea to reduce the size of the containers and cartons we discard as much as possible. For example, we can crush plastic bottles, soda cans, and milk cartons to minimize their size; this will allow us to reduce the volume of the bag and make better use of the space.

Reuse so you don’t have to recycle

Remember that not all the old items you have around the house or the products you use have to end up in the trash. In some cases, you can find ways to reuse them yourself to give them a second life and get the most out of them.

Common examples of this include using old fabrics and clothing to create other items, such as bags or rags; using used containers for other purposes (for example, repurposing them as planters), taking apart furniture to build new pieces, or even using old CDs as coasters or Christmas decorations. Explore all the possibilities of the DIY world and be amazed at what you can do with things you thought you were going to throw away!

Recycling: A Commitment for Everyone

Finally, keep in mind that recycling waste is something we all need to commit to. So, if you don’t live alone, share this practical guide with the other people in your household so they can incorporate it into their daily lives as well. And, of course, if you have children, try to instill the habit of recycling in them, because if they get used to recycling from a young age, they’ll be able to continue passing on these values of respect for the environment when they become adults.

Recycle, reuse, and save with the help of CULMIA

We hope you find this guide to recycling waste useful for living more sustainably—and even for saving a little money in the process. Mainly because, by reusing old items, you’ll avoid having to buy new ones.

And, as you can imagine, this is a great option that you can combine with the other tips in our“Guide to Saving Money at Home,” which you can download for free below. Don’t miss it!

We recommend:

• Decorating a Garden with Recycled Materials: 10 Key Ideas for Protecting the Environment
• Key WHO Guidelines on Housing and Health