Fost Plus launched a new campaign focusing on better sorting this autumn. After all, without sorting it is not possible to recycle. The campaign puts things in order about what can and cannot go in the blue bag.
The aim is to refocus the sorting message for PMD. This is necessary, because Fost Plus is seeing more and more items appearing in the blue bags that do not belong there at all. The expansion of the blue bag, a few years ago now, was a bull’s eye. Packaging that we might have had doubts about in the past, such as yoghurt pots or plastic bags, is now definitely allowed. This is of course good news, because Fost Plus is collecting more materials than ever for recycling – in 2023 even more than 24 kilos per inhabitant. It also makes the sorting message a lot easier for the citizen.
However, the pendulum seems to have swung back the other way, and we’ve become just a little over-enthusiastic. More and more ends up in the PMD bag that does not belong there. This inevitably causes problems on the sorting lines. After all, the machines are set up to sort the typical packaging from the blue bag. Think of bottles, jars, cans, small films, etc. When these foreign and large objects end up on the sorting belts, they disrupt the automated processes, with all the consequences that entails.
Unfortunately, blocked installations are not the only problem, because more and more dangerous situations are arising. These are mainly due to the increasing presence of electrical and electronic equipment, and devices with lithium batteries in the PMD bags. These batteries can spontaneously ignite in the event of a short circuit, overheating or damage. The flash fire that accompanies this, in combination with the flammable material, poses major risks.
Drastic measures required
Since the beginning of 2024, the number of sorting errors has continued to increase. Fost Plus expects around 40,000 tons of incorrectly sorted material this year, which would amount to a mind-boggling 10 million incorrectly sorted PMD bags. A significant proportion of these sorting errors could also be perfectly recycled, but not via the PMD recycling chain. Incorrect sorting means that all these materials are now lost.
Enough reasons to once again sharpen the focus on the sorting rules. With the new national campaign, Fost Plus wants to wake up the public and return to the essence of the blue bag: the collection of household packaging. The main character is an incorrectly sorted toy chicken, clearly not packaging. With the tune “If it is packaging, then it may go into the bag” and an earworm by Céline Dion, the chicken reminds everyone that it should not have ended up there.
