category : Responsible waste management, recycling and environmentally friendly behaviour
People are increasingly developing their attitude to environmental processes and understand their importance for keeping the planet Earth clean. Many countries are struggling with the main problems of our time – the disposal of plastic, lack of natural resources (forests, water bodies), huge amounts of waste that are dumped in the field. They find a variety of ways to deal with this.
Here are some of the world’s leading recycling countries:
8. USA
As one of the largest countries in the world, the United States produces 260 million garbage annually. There are more than 10,000 material recycling stations in the country.
7. Hong Kong
For many years, Hong Kong has had serious problems with the accumulation of huge amounts of waste, with almost no attempt at recycling. In May 2013 the government approves a plan for the responsible use of waste.
6. France
This country still has to catch up with other European countries that are advanced in recycling. At present, only 25% of plastic waste is recycled there, compared to 30% in Europe. One of the problems is the way garbage is sorted. One of France’s goals is to achieve 100% waste recycling by 2025.
5. Finland
The Finns are extremely good at recycling aluminium beverage cans and bottles, as they have an excellent sorting system for all supermarkets. One of the interesting facts about Finland is that they produce energy from plastic waste.
4. Australia
For some time, Australia lags behind, but subsequently adopted in 2018. Special refund program for beverage containers.
3. Northern Ireland
Ireland adopted a policy of not using plastic bags two years before it was introduced into the European Union. In recent years, Ireland has given some of the highest results in the recycling of municipal waste – almost 52%.
2. Norway
This is the country with a recycling system, established in 1972, which covers 90% of the population. Norwegians carry their metal cans, plastic bottles and other items to supermarkets, where they put them in special machines and receive a small sum for them. They recycle as a habit learned in school.
Germany
This is the leading country at the moment in the recycling process. The country manages to recycle 68% of its waste. The government is implementing a strict waste sorting policy; in a German household there are 6 color-coded bins. One of the most successful initiatives is the “green dot” that manufacturers put on every item that is subject to recycling.
One of the leading countries in changing environmental thinking and understanding of the needs of the Earth is Japan. Every day in a Japanese school is filled with educational processes that shape the thinking of the new generation. From growing vegetables on the menu on their own, to serving and using their own reusable utensils, without paper napkins, to cleaning the school by the children themselves, everything aims to prepare children for the growing need for protection on the planet.
In Bulgaria, color-coded waste bins have been used since 2014, increasing the growth of recycling. There are also special treatment plants. From 2022 Sofia has one of the most modern recycling stations.
Serbia has one of the largest lead processing plants. The plant can process 15-16 thousand tons of lead and lead alloys per year, which are discharged into the environment as poisonous.