We recommend Recycling At Work.
Recycling is an easy action we can take to reduce the negative impact of landfills on our environment and recover recyclable material generated not only at the household level but at the workplace, too.
As Lebanon grapples with an unprecedented trash crisis and since more than 30 percent of the country’s waste can be recycled, let’s not “waste” it.
Garbage is a matter which concerns us all – not merely politicians or governors, but every native of Lebanon. Today the crisis has hit us all hard; and by now every citizen must have realized that the right to life is dependent on the environment.
It did not take long before the disaster turned me into a passionate recycler at home. But it bothered me when I realized I did not recycle at work. It was so awful seeing a great deal of juice bottles, soda cans and takeaway containers being thrown in the trash bin every day.
I decided I should do something about it and The Daily Star quickly welcomed the “recycle at work” initiative, bringing recycling bins and placing them next to the trash cans. Now those bins are all over the workplace and this has made me feel better because I fulfilled my responsibility toward the environment and my duties toward my country, my fellow citizens, my family and myself.
As my enthusiasm grew, so did The Daily Star’s passion for recycling. Suddenly, everybody was recycling everything: beverage cans, plastic and glass bottles, paper and different kinds of chocolate and cereal boxes.
How about you? Do you recycle at home? How about at work? You can do it. It’s simple. And do remember: Every item counts!
Blue Bag for Plastic/Glass/Metal: Milk/juice/water bottles (with caps), beverage cans, straws, cups, trays, plates and cutlery, food tin cans, yogurt/Labneh pots, pastry trays, laundry/detergent/cleaning bottles, detergent bags, kitchenware (pots and pans), plastic/glass jars, shampoo/toiletry bottles, shopping/grocery bags, deodorant sticks, spray cans, takeaway plastic/aluminum/Styrofoam containers.
Note: Please rinse food containers, tin cans, milk bottles before putting them in the bag.
A separate Blue Bag for Paper/Cardboard: Office/school paper, newspapers, magazines, photos, carton bottles (milk/juice), pizza boxes (with no residue), cigarette packages, books, cereal/chocolate boxes, calendars, cards, thick cardboard boxes (flattened), shredded paper, laundry boxes, cores from toilet paper and cores from hand paper towels or the like.
IMPORTANT: Don’t throw tissue paper, toilet paper or paper towels in your recycling bags. These items should go into the trash bin (or the Black Bag).
Also please place hazardous waste (batteries, thermometers, florescent lamps or energy-saving light bulbs) in a separate transparent bag and seal it before putting it in the Blue recycling bag.
Composting can also reduce by 50 percent the volume of organic waste that is thrown into landfills where it takes up space and releases methane. Kitchen waste can be buried in a yard or a garden. Adding food scraps to the soil will restore vitality to the soil and help plants grow. Don’t throw it away, compost it instead.
A small step can make a big difference to your country. If we can do it, you can! Residents can recycle a long list of items.
