From words to action: Students were taught how to sort waste properly
We’ve all known since childhood how important the environment is in our lives. Recently, we learned about plans to launch a waste sorting project at Uzhhorod National University. And so, February 10 can officially be considered the start of this initiative at UzhNU. Starting on this day, sets of three cardboard bins—for paper, plastic, and glass—have already appeared in the faculties located on the BAM campus.
To help students learn how to sort waste properly, Vice Rector Kristina Tovt, together with the head of the Resource Center for Sustainable Development, Hanna Meleganych, and co-founder of the NGO “Green City,” Anna Bilous, organized a workshop.
“It’s really cool that universities have initiatives like this. We hope they will spread to our city, Transcarpathia, and Ukraine. This way, we can help our planet. Different types of waste have different decomposition times. Therefore, our main task here is to sort waste properly,” noted Anna Bilous, the event’s lecturer, at the outset.
Yes, the waste paper category includes newspapers, magazines, books, notebooks, postcards, boxes, paper trays, and paper packaging. However, receipts, Tetra Paks, cups (these should be sorted separately into Mamai’s bins), wallpaper, photo paper, napkins, and toilet paper do NOT belong in this category.
Glass bottles, jars, and medicine or perfume bottles should be placed in the bin clean, dry, and without lids. Light bulbs, lamps, automotive glass, ceramics, porcelain, and crystal do not fall under the “glass” category.
When sorting plastic, it is important to pay attention to the markings. The numbers 1, 2, 4, and the letter codes PET, HDPE, and LDPE indicate recyclability. It is important to remember that disposable tableware, straws, candy wrappers, soft tubes, and plastic toys are not recyclable.
As Hanna Meleganych noted, it is important to live in a way that ensures future generations have enough of everything, and the problem of waste has a significant impact on our future.
Let’s join the project, spread the word about recycling at home and among our friends, and make our future better!
Victoria Kenidra
