Plastic-free September – let's take part!
It is everyone's responsibility to improve our plastic sorting. The City of Hafnarfjörður encourages residents and businesses to actively participate in Plastic-Free September, an awareness campaign designed to make people think about the excess and harmful effects of plastic on the environment.
The City of Hafnarfjörður encourages residents and businesses in Hafnarfjörður to actively participate in Plastic-Free September, an awareness campaign designed to make people think about the excess and harmful effects of plastic on the environment. While also pointing out ways to reduce the use of single-use plastic.
From 1 March 2018, residents of Hafnarfjörður have been able to put all plastic together in a sealed plastic bag directly into the household's grey bin (energy bin). The plastic bags are then sorted separately from other rubbish at the sorting facility and sent for recycling. No special bags are needed for the plastic; just ordinary plastic bags, but take particular care to keep the plastic separate from other rubbish in sealed bags so that Sorpu's equipment can sort it efficiently.
Further information about Plastic-Free September can be found on the project's website or Here
Why should we give up plastic?
Plastic is made from oil, a non-renewable resource, and it is important to make better use of it than is currently the case. Plastic breaks down slowly, if at all, in the natural environment and can cause damage to wildlife if it is released unchecked into the environment. It is the responsibility of us all to treat the Earth's resources with respect and to ensure that waste is diverted to be reused as raw materials, rather than being wasted or causing environmental damage. Society needs to do better when it comes to plastic, and with new mechanical sorting equipment at SORPA's reception and sorting centre, it is simple to send it for recycling.
Let's choose a project and take on the challenge: #plastic-free:
| What do we need to avoid? | What can we do? | |
|---|---|---|
| Throw plastic in the general rubbish | Recycle all plastic | |
| Fruit and vegetables packed in plastic | Choose loose fruit and vegetables and bring a reusable bag for them if needed. | |
| Plastic bag | Use reusable bags, cardboard boxes, rucksacks or other reusable containers. | |
| Cosmetics with plastic particles | Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) are examples of plasticisers in cosmetics. Familiarise yourself with the names of plasticisers and use the app. Beat the Microbead. | |
| Cleaning agent in plastic packaging | Choose soaps and detergents in cardboard packaging. Make your own. Buy bars of soap instead of bottles. | |
| Dry goods in plastic packaging | Choose dry goods (pasta, raisins) in cardboard packaging or bring your own container if possible. | |
| Meat and fish in plastic packaging | Go to a fishmonger's/butcher's that packs in cardboard or offers to put it in a container from home. | |
| Straws in drinks | No, thanks. | |
| Plastic cups for drinks in cafés/restaurants | Bring a reusable bottle from home or drink it in a cup on site. Skip the plastic lid. | |
| Fizzy drinks in plastic bottles | Use fizzy drink machines. Reduce fizzy drinks. | |
| Plastic bags in rubbish bins | Use newspaper instead of a plastic bag. By collecting food scraps in a compost bin, you can get rid of all the moisture from the rubbish, and the bin will stay clean and tidy. | |
| Dog poo in plastic bags | Use corn husks or newspapers. | |
| Litter that ends up on the streets, e.g. balloons, cigarette ends | Hold the balloons firmly so they don't float out to sea. Make sure the stalks are put in the bin and not on the street. | |
| Plastic rubbish flying through the streets | Pick it up and put it in the recycling bin. | |
| Plastic bag rolls and plastic films | Pack a packed lunch, leftovers and other things in a reusable box. |