Waste separation worldwide

Proper and sensible waste separation in households can help to reduce the negative impact of waste on the environment. That supports the processing of the garbage and can be used for energy production.

Unfortunately, the system of waste separation is still far from being introduced in all countries of the world. For example, countries such as Chile or Turkey recycle only one percent of their household waste. The remaining waste ends up in 99 percent of large landfills in both countries.

In Germany, household waste is reused to 65 percent, making Germany the world champion in recycling (Global Citizen). Only 13 percent of German garbage are incinerated without recovering the energy. The waste is not dumped on landfill sites anymore.

It is especially important that such large countries as Russia, China and the USA also recycle their waste.

In Russia only 5% of the household waste are processed. Most of the waste is dumped on landfills. This is primarily due to the lack of infrastructure for waste processing and waste recycling companies. The current waste management system in Russia, which focuses mainly on landfill, is very imperfect and does'nt provide a permanent solution. It results to a heavy pollution and so to a decrease of the living standard. The landfills in Russia are already 70-90 percent full at the moment.

Even in big cities like the five-million-metropolis of St. Petersburg, the garbage is usually thrown into a large container in the courtyard, which is emptied regularly. Those who want separate waste consciously depend on local initiatives which build mobile collection points at intervals of several weeks and residents can dispose plastic, or waste metal and paper. Until then, however, the waste must be stored in your own home.