“Holiday” waste: fruits and eggs are increasing in containers

Shopping bags and waste containers get significantly heavier during the holidays. “There have never been such holidays, after which waste did not increase,” said Antanas Salickas and Tadas Valavičius, drivers of the Alytus Region Waste Management Center.

Men who have been transporting food waste from companies and residents of the region providing treatment, health care, and accommodation services for many years notice that after every holiday, there is an obvious increase in the number of fruits in the food waste containers: bananas, oranges, apples. “Apparently, they buy too much, don’t eat, the fruit starts to spoil and has to be thrown away,” thought the ARATC drivers.

After Easter, a lot of eggs end up in containers – uneaten eggs are also thrown among the many shells.

However, recently, the amount of food thrown away in the containers of both companies and residents has decreased significantly. Most of what ends up there is what remains during food preparation: peels, skins, paper towels.

According to T. Valavičiaus, it is rare to see discarded food in residents’ containers, and A. Salickas noticed that the amount of discarded bread in the food waste collected from companies has decreased significantly.

Whatever the reasons for such trends, they are encouraging. And to keep it that way, so that Easter is green and sustainable, we remind you of the most important principles of waste prevention and management rules:

• Plan your holiday shopping and your budget in advance: go shopping with a well-thought-out list and stay within your budget
• When you come to buy one forgotten product, do not take a trolley or shopping bag – carry the product in your hand, this way you will avoid the temptation to contribute unnecessary items
• Take reusable bags for weighing products and a reusable shopping bag when you go shopping
• For home decoration, festive decorations, and table settings, use natural materials, tools you already have – avoid cheap, disposable items that you have to throw away after the first use
• Choose natural means for making Easter polka dots: onion skins, tea, beets, red cabbage, turmeric, etc.
• Cook as many holiday meals at home as possible – it will be cheaper, healthier, cozier
• Do not throw away edible leftovers: use them to prepare other dishes, freeze them
• Sort all the waste generated and remind your guests how to do it right

• Collect food and kitchen waste separately and in designated containers: paper towels, napkins, paper soiled with grease and other food products, egg shells, tea grounds and packets, coffee grounds and their filters, fruit and vegetable remains, peels, peels, trimmings, meat, fish waste, bones, food products that are no longer suitable for consumption
• Natural materials such as onion skins, tea leaves, etc. put in food waste containers
• Throw used scraps of textiles or socks in which you wrap printed eggs into mixed waste containers.

Sunny and bright St. Easter!

Inf. of the Alytus Region Waste Management Center.