Waste sorting of soft plastics
Soft plastics must be sorted in the container for plastic waste at home. However, there are a few exceptions where soft plastic must be handed in at the recycling station, as it contains soft PVC, which is extremely harmful to the environment when burned.
It is important that soft plastic waste is sorted correctly, as the plastic can be remelted and reused for new products. The production of new plastic requires a lot of energy, and in doing so we save the climate one and a half kilos of CO2 for every kilo of plastic that is recycled.
Remember that the plastic must be clean and dry when it is sorted in the waste bin.
Examples of soft plastic that must be thrown in the container at home
- Bubble wrap
- Wrapping plastic from e.g. toilet paper, fruit and vegetables
- Plastic bags and freezer bags
Examples of soft plastic/PVC that must be handed in at the recycling station
- Rainwear
- Swimming animals and swimming pools
- Rubberboots
Chip bags and coffee packaging should not be sorted as soft plastic, but as residual waste, as they contain metal on the inside of the packaging. If, on the other hand, they are made of a more environmentally friendly material, they can be sorted like soft plastic at home.
"Waste sorting can vary from municipality to municipality, so if you are in doubt about how to dispose of your waste in your particular municipality, you can always ask at the local recycling station."