There are more than 3,800 dumpsites in Moldova, twice as much as there are towns and villages, and half of them are unauthorized. Nine in ten dumpsites are simple landfills, and only 0.3% of the authorized disposal sites meet legal environmental standards. These are some of the data presented by the NGOs Moldova #FărăDeșeuri and EcoVisio at a workshop titled “Waste. From Problem to Solution”, IPN reports.

The following is a selection of further facts that can make us more responsible in how we dispose and recycle our waste:

• Recycling an aluminum can saves 95% of the energy needed to produce a new can.

• A battery contaminates 20 square meters of soil or 400 liters of water, and the solution would be to use rechargeable batteries instead.

• Both metals and glass can be recycled indefinitely. Metal recycling requires less energy and water than the extraction of ferrous ores. At the same time, in the process of recycling metals and glass, less greenhouse gases are emitted than in the production of new materials.

• Paper cannot be recycled indefinitely, only 5-7 times. A tonne of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 1438 liters of oil, 3 cubic meters of landfill, 4,000 kW of energy, and over 26,000 liters of water.

• The smoke from burning leaves contains more carcinogens than cigarette smoke. Instead, if composted, leaves can be transformed into a valuable fertilizer.

• Garbage from rivers reaches seas and oceans, and 85% of the garbage in the Black Sea is plastic.

• 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually in the world, but only 9% of it is recycled. The only plastic recycling factory in the Republic of Moldova is located in Peresecina, Orhei district.

• More waste is generated during the renovation of a building than from the construction of a new building. It is forbidden by law to dispose of construction waste in household dumpsters, with culprits facing fines.