Everything material that we own is made from raw materials extracted from nature. Sorting waste is related to the care of these natural resources. Knowing what is right and what is wrong with sorting helps ensure that waste is treated correctly. By proper sorting, we can recover as much material as possible from the waste sent for recycling, so that it can be put back into the production of new products.

A good example is the metal tin can, which is made of aluminum. Aluminum is found in a mineral called bauxite. Extracting new aluminum is a difficult process that produces large greenhouse gas emissions. When we recycle aluminum, the can is melted down and recast. This process requires only 5% of the energy used to produce new aluminum, saving both natural resources and energy.

All residual waste is sent for incineration, and the energy from this can be used for heating (heating) and electricity generation. But this energy can only be used once. It is therefore of great importance that we all sort properly so that waste can be materially recycled as many times as possible before it becomes residual waste.

The municipalities of Smolyan and Banite offer sorting containers, which makes it easier to properly sort your waste.