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Germany deals with most of its waste internally. Most paper is recycled for second-rate paper products. Metal is recycled. Some plastic is recycled. The rest (g
by jhrmnn 7y ago
Germany deals with most of its waste internally. Most paper is recycled for second-rate paper products. Metal is recycled. Some plastic is recycled. The rest (general waste, organic, most of plastic) is incinerated under corresponding conditions. Incinerating organic is already quite optimal–left in nature, things would rot and produce methane. Incinerating plastic is like burning gas or oil that was originally used to produce it. It has similar calorific value as coal and in Germany is largely used to substitute some part of it in coal power plants. I’m not sure about general waste, but I’d guess after subtracting methane production in landfills, incinerating it is still a net positive.
EDIT: Most glass bottles are in the deposit system and are collected by stores, washed, and reused.
- DoctorOetker 7y agoInstead of burning the plastic, wouldn't it make more sense to use techniques like pyrolysis and eventually return the plastics to non-polymer hydrocarbons, to make whatever new plastic from it?
- becomingknown 7y agoYes we can but we are constrained by the power/energy/money consumption in this whole recycling process.
- kalado 7y agoWe (germans) also seperate everything personally. If I understood the article right there is just one blue bin where you put everything recycable in? Here we have: Blue bin for paper Yellow bin for packages (plastic...and aluminium? I think) Extra Container for glass, white and green/brown) Green bin for organics. Black bin for anything else. Beer bottles, plastic bottles and cans don't get thrown out at all, you pay a fee during purchase and get it back when you return the empty ones to a store. What goes into the yellow bin and what doesn't is a highly controversial point of discussion in any home.