Recycling collection in our barrio, and I assume most others in Madrid, involves separating plastic, paper and glass, and disposing of it in labelled bins perched side by side on the street.
Actually no, that’s not entirely accurate, seeing as in our street the bins dedicated to glass and plastic were burnt to the ground, leaving just the paper bin to sit timidly on its own like a sitting duck waiting for the next cigarette butt. So in fact, the thing to do with plastic and glass is to place the waste ready for recycling within the charred, dark circles left by said incinerated containers like sad little offerings to the recycling gods.
While this process is easy and relatively painless, I don’t feel entirely reassured that my organised pile doesn’t just end up as our portera tells me, todo junto, all together again in one happy mess in landfill.
Australian and Madrileño mindsets about recycling
Australians love recycling. In the state of South Australia recycling a can gets you 5 cents. This humble scheme is attributed to reducing maritime wildlife deaths and is a nice trend threatening to spread nationwide. And while Australians are no environmental saints – we love our big cars, have a healthy disrespect for energy conservation and basically camp on the river ‘de Nile’ when it comes to Climate Change – we know how to stack our recycling neatly, and for good reason. Garbos, as they’re affectionately known in Australia aren’t quite as forgiving as their Madrileño counterparts. If rubbish escapes or overflows the kerbside bin, it will still be there long after the trucks have steamed through. An old grey couch lived on our Australian suburban street for months, soaking up the rain, growing plants and sheltering small animals before the owners eventually accepted that it wasn’t going to be collected and disposed of it themselves.
Aussie recycling authorities care little for clean and ordered streets, in fact recycling collection often wreaks havoc on the nature strip, and locating your far flung bin often ends with a ferocious tug of war game with your neighbours. This rough treatment means that the responsibility to recycle sits squarely with the householder.
But what about other Madrileños? Do they have similar doubts about whether their glass bottles see their plastic and paper friends again in a shallow grave instead of realising their potential reincarnated glory? People do leave all sorts of interesting rubbish in and around the recycling containers. Are they confident that all will be ordered and correctly recycled in the end by some sort of recycling fairy? Or is it as I suspect – that my Spanish friends just don’t recycle?
The results of a poll carried out by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociales (CIS) seem to support my suspicions. They found that 1 in 10 Spaniards had never recycled in their life. Ever. So it appears recycling and proper waste disposal are far from the minds of many Spaniards, and perhaps many Madrileños, which may account for the eclectic range of goods available to the discerning collector in most recycling bins.
But why? Recycling infrastructure exists, puntos limpios and clearly labelled recycling bins abound, and information about how to recycle properly is easy to access. My feeling is Madrileños know how to recycle, they also know however, that if they leave things in certain places they will be collected. Questionable disposal practices are rewarded in this city. Leave your junk near any bin, and it will be collected and put away somewhere. And hey, afterwards, they’ll even hose off the ground where you dumped it.
No excuses not to recycle
Not recycling is so ten years ago, but trust does go a long way when it comes to getting people to all chip in and do the right thing. A local news station once uncovered some very dirty secrets which put a serious dent in Madrid’s recycling confidence. In the reportage El fraude de la basura, an undercover camera shows recycling trucks dumping sorted PET bottles, and carton into landfill:
Reports of individuals stealing recycled materials for profit has further damaged the public’s trust in recycling systems, and knowing these things occurred certainly helps one to understand why Spaniards are a little skeptical and less inclined to bother at all. But if the reaction to these kind of crimes is to do nothing and even use them as an excuse to be lazy with domestic waste is to me no different to the actions of the dumpers and robbers.
Am I wasting my time?
As you become consumed by the robotic and almost daily trance of sorting and putting out recyclable waste, questions relating to the importance of this ritual often emerge. Why am I doing this? No one else in my building let alone the rest of my barrio bothers, and right now there’s bin juice dribbling down my leg (eew). Perhaps the Spanish have the right idea. Is this automatic response to recycle the result of environmental brainwashing from well meaning TV shows such as Captain Planet that I was glued to as a nine year old?
At the risk of sounding like a primary school teacher, I will tell you that recycling still has its merits! Recycling reduces carbon emissions, conserves natural resources, and it reduces air, soil and water pollution. As the second largest consumer of seafood in the world, it is well within Spain’s interests to keep oceans clear of plastic and other recyclable waste. If you still need convincing, why not read this Economist article.
But recycling as many of us think of it – the kerb-side process where we separate and offer our recyclables for collection – is, of course, just the tip of the domestic waste iceberg. Using less stuff is a much more sustainable practice. A great way to do this is to do your grocery shopping at one of Madrid’s marvellous markets where excessive food packaging hasn’t been invented yet. Another even cooler way to reduce waste is to do something creative with it.
It’s hip to recycle
ECOALF is a sustainable fashion brand that’s turned the idea of trash on its head. Founded by Spaniard Javier Goyeneche, and with a flagship store and base in Madrid, the brand sees trash not only as an inevitable aspect of humanity but as a raw material ready to be exploited and put to good use.
The range of ECOALF clothing and accessories is made from recycled waste such as fishing nets, PET bottles and coffee grounds. It’s pretty neat to be able to say that a jacket takes 3 cups of coffee and 12 PET bottles to make, and wow that’s one unique selling proposition! While these statistics are impressive what is also an important part of the ECOALF mission is quality and aesthetic value. The products are recycled but they are also beautiful, and this commitment enables Goyeneche and his team to promote a shift in public perceptions and ‘a new generation of conscious consumers who are not willing to reject their aesthetic values’.
Another Madrileño business doing creative things with rubbish is Objectos Perdidos. Using reclaimed wood, found imagery and forgotten objects they create unique furniture pieces, sculpture and collages which have featured in many of the hipster pop-up stores around Madrid.
Keeping informed
And for concerned ciudadanos who are wondering whether their recyclables will be saved from landfill, according to information published by the Ayuntamiento de Madrid, rubbish goes through a second separation process after collection. More information about what happens to the rubbish after it is collected, what sorts of things are made with it and how to recycle properly can be found in their guide.
Image credits: Objetos Perdidos
It’s Not Easy Being Green appeared first on ¡Vaya Madrid!
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