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› The logic of recycling
2010-06-22
Many people pretend to be worried about nature, ecology, global warming, and every single news item related to the environment. However, when it comes to waste, only few of them really care. This was the principle aspect that was discussed in each session in Hatillo, because if they do not understand the importance of recycling, their attitude towards waste will not change.
What is always explained to them is that when we hear about something which is wrong in relation to the environment, we all feel upset, worried and even desperate. However, minutes later, after using a piece of paper, we just throw it into the same rubbish bin in our homes or offices; the same bin into which we throw broken glass, banana peels, a tuna can, a plastic bottle and an aluminium tin. And that is it. Our sadness and desperation ended there.
That is why it is essential to understand the logic behind recycling, because only by knowing where the main materials used to create each product come from and how much time it takes for those products to decompose, can people understand the importance of separating their waste at home in order to recycle as many materials as possible.
The explanation of some details about the mining industry and its impact on the environment, and how long it takes for aluminium and glass to decompose can make some people understand that what they are doing is wrong, because they keep buying these products and then throwing them away, instead of recycling them. With paper and plastic it is the same, which increases the importance of reusing and recycling the products we already have.
Most of the participants appeared to understand the importance of the issue, asking questions and expressing their point of views about it. And a lot of them said that they were unaware of the facts that where talked about, and that they had not even thought about the possibility of separating their own waste. There is, therefore, no doubt that these sessions have been very successful.
The time required for each session and the activities depend on the location, the number of participants, their average age and the starting time of the session.
