An awesome thing happened for Ibiza, the planet and therefore you and me, this month. Thanks to Ibiza's super easy to use recycling system and me being mindful to not absent-mindedly throw things in the trash, it has now taken my household (of three adults), over a month to fill one small kitchen garbage bag. Four weeks and it is still not full. Not even halfway!
How does Ibiza Recycling work?
Out of curiosity over what happens to all the recycling our Ibiza Spotlight team took a tour, organized by the Consell D'Eivissa, of the ‘Estacío de Transferencia' or Transfer Station. Here is some of what we learned.
The Transfer Station only prepares Ibiza and Formentera's recycling for shipping to the actual recycling plants. The station here on Ibiza bales paper, compacts plastic and puts the glass into separate shipping containers to go to the actual factories that process the recycled material for re-sale. The paper goes to a plant in Saragosa and the glass and plastics go to separate plants on Mallorca.
We were told that when Ibiza decreases the amount of recyclable material which goes into the landfill and instead gets it into the recycling bins then we will be able to sustain a full scale recycling plant here. At the moment only 13% of the garbage is recycled and Ibiza is aiming for 50%.
Containers, containers, containers
Only containers (think tins, jars, bottles, cans) are recycled into the bins because manufacturers are charged an environmental fee for the containers. The only way they recoup this fee is by recycling. Therein, manufacturers love for us to recycle. A recycled pop can equals one new can. A recycled bottle equals a new bottle. Nothing is lost in the process into perpetuity. Recycling cost much less in terms of energy and dollars than the cost of mining for silica or aluminum. Recycling plastic means the manufacturer can buy less oil.
Direct benefit to us
The benefits to us are that the reduced manufacturing costs are reflected in the prices we pay for goods and the lessened need for raw resources reduces pressure on our environment. The system mostly pays for itself and the good news is the more we recycle the more the system pays for itself.
Disappointing
The only disappointment on the tour was seeing how many of the wrong items were in each bin such as plastics in the glass bin and paper in the plastics bin. Unfortunately, Ibiza's recycling is not sorted before it is sold and bought by weight so if 10% of the plastic shipment is not plastic, or not the appropriate plastics we are not paid for it and pay a penalty as well.. So please recycle well because we literally pay for each other's mistakes!
Rubbish Collection on Ibiza
There is no household curbside garbage collection in Ibiza. Residents and tourists need to take their garbage and recycling to the plentiful, conveniently located public garbage bins next to which there are always three recycling bins: a yellow, blue and a green one.
The most important question to ask yourself in wondering if something can be recycled to these bins is: Was this a container for a product? If yes, then it can go in the bins.
Yellow Recycling Bins
The yellow bin is my favourite because it recycles the bulk of what was once my trash. The yellow bin takes all manner of plastics, cans and tetra-paks. Plastic bags or any plastic container that once held a food or any other commercial product from engine oil to electronics, from polystyrene to blister paks for your contact lenses is permitted.
Blue and Green Recycling Bins
The blue bin takes paper, and the green bin takes glass. A tip: if something looks like paper but doesn't rip like paper then you may put it in the yellow plastics bin.
‘Everything can be recycled'
What can't go into the curbside bins are things like cups and bowls, mugs, buckets or plastic toys and broken appliances but they can still be recycled. Absolutely everything, from yard waste to printer cartridges to x-rays and old cars can still be recycled. You just need to bring it personally to the recycling ‘Deixelleries' at six convenient spots all over the island.
The Future - Compost
There is also a compost plant in the works for Ibiza. When it will be operational is not yet known. This was the one area where I had to get creative. I offered my kitchen scraps to my landlord. He was delighted as he has horses, pigs, ducks and chickens to feed.
