Mongolia generates 1.5 million tons of waste annually. 85 percent of this waste can be recycled. However, we have not yet learned the practice of sorting waste. In the past few years, the capital has installed waste sorting bins in some districts and has widely disseminated information to citizens about waste sorting. However, citizens still lack awareness and knowledge about waste sorting.

Where does our waste go?

• 72% of our waste goes to centralized points
• 22% goes to secondary raw material acceptance points
• There are 3 centralized landfills in the capital, but 80-90% are already full of waste

Waste recycling methods

Since households do not sort their waste, unsorted waste is disposed of in only two ways: landfilling or burning. This causes toxic gases to be emitted upwards and soil pollution to the ground below. There is a third method called “waste recycling”, but people do not always know or care. If every household sorts its waste at source, the amount of waste collected will be reduced and there will be an advantage in recycling recyclable waste. This has a positive impact on our health and the economy.

The colors of the waste sorting bins are:

• Green – Plastic bottles and plastic bags
• Orange – Aluminum cans and metal waste
• Blue – Paper and paper product waste
• White – Glass and glass packaging waste
• Brown – Organic food waste
• Yellow – Household hazardous waste
• Black – Non-recyclable waste.
• The first “Step” we can take

-To save our country from soil pollution, it is important to first separate and separate our waste at the source. Disposing of food waste with other waste has a negative impact on air and environmental pollution and is the basis for the release of toxic gases such as greenhouse gases and methane. There are three categories of recyclable waste.

These include:

-Organic waste, such as food scraps, vegetable and fruit peels. This can be processed into fertilizer and feed
Common waste, such as glass, cans, and plastic bottles, can be recycled and reused for their intended purpose
Hazardous waste, such as explosive, flammable, reactive, oxidizing, and toxic waste, must be buried in the ground without adversely affecting the environment.

This way, you can sort your paper, plastic, and organic waste and deliver it to recycling centers or secondary raw material purchasing points.