The process step-by-step
Collection by material
Packaging is collected in recycling bins according to the type of material.
- Paper and cardboard packaging is collected in the blue recycling bin.
- Metals, steel, aluminum, various types of plastic and ECAL are collected in the yellow recycling bin.
- Glass packaging is collected in the green recycling bin.
Transportation
This packaging is transported to the sorting centers of the Municipal Waste Management Systems and undergoes processes that allow them to be separated by type of material.
Separation and sorting
In the case of paper and cardboard, paper is separated from cardboard.
Glass packaging undergoes minimal intervention and is sent to recyclers/recyclers.
Plastic packaging is separated by different types of material and through different processes:
- ECAL (Liquid Food Cartons/Tetra Pak)
- Metal: steel goes through a magnetic separation process, while aluminum goes through eddy currents.
- Plastic: is separated through optical separation processes (which identify the type of plastic and separate it) and manual separation of PET, HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene), EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), Mixed Plastics.
Transformation
At the end of the sorting process, these different types of packaging are transformed into bales. These bales are sent according to the material to the respective recycler.
