21 years ago, Gervásio taught the Portuguese to recycle. Do you still remember?
It was the year 2000, I was 26 years old and I still remember the advertisement of the chimpanzee Gervásio who managed, in just one hour and twelve minutes, to separate the paper, plastic and glass using the different color ecopoints — blue, yellow and green , respectively. At the end of the ad, the challenge was launched: "And you, how much more time will you need?"
According to Sociedade Ponto Verde's “Radar da Reciclagem” survey, in 2020, already in a pandemic with Covid-19, the Portuguese produced more waste at home, but accompanied «this increase with the respective separation and recycling». Good news.
Carried out in partnership with Marktest, this survey showed that 46,4% of Portuguese people recycle more, compared to the previous year. There is more garbage to be produced at home, but also more time available for sorting and recycling. Again, good news.
The analysis also enters into the issue of waste management associated with the pandemic: masks, disposable gloves and disinfectant wipes.
According to “Radar da Reciclagem”, the majority of Portuguese (74%) know that they have to put this waste in the unsorted garbage container. So we have here about 24% of Portuguese (these numbers are mine) with serious difficulties in understanding, mainly, where to put disposable gloves and masks.
The right answer is: unsorted garbage.
You should not put this pandemic-related waste in the yellow recycling bin, much less on the street, around a corner, in the grass or behind a tree, in the hope that no one will see it there. And that is what is unfortunately seen all over Portugal. Not only abandoned surgical masks, but also communal masks, with that look of I've been used now, but I'm no longer fit and I'm just going to stay here, abandoned on the floor. How practical!
Leaving the issue of recycling, but still in terms of the obvious associated with waste, a few days ago I had another one of those experiences of an irritated resident holidaymaker, when they leave “forgotten” garbage on their favorite beach.
I was at Praia dos Três Irmãos, in harmonious games with my children, which included sand in almost every pore, when I noticed a mother and daughter noisily eating a package of those crunchy yellow salty marbles.
I thought to myself: I just hope they don't leave the package empty when they leave. This is because a few meters away I had already been enraged with two bottles of beer with only the neck exposed and a pack of chewing gum still to be chewed.
I don't know if I have any special radar, but the truth is that when I came back from the refreshing swim, the single parent family was no longer there, but the snack package, yes, and many of those yellow balls, which, I don't know how, decided to stay scattered on the sand on a sunny summer day.
When I notice these careless gestures I get upset, in this case also sad. What example did that mother set for her daughter?
Leaving litter on the beach, throwing masks on the ground seem obvious behaviors to avoid. Unfortunately, it seems that, in many situations, the obvious still needs to be said.
In summer and at any time of year, always leave the places where you were cleaner than you found them. By the way, leave your luminous smile wherever you go. The world appreciates all our positive gestures.
Author: Analita Alves dos Santos is a Mother concerned with environmental issues... and not only
Source: Green Capital
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