Sorting

Waste from the summer? Brush up on your sorting knowledge!

 
Waar moet je een kapotte strandbal weggooien?

What a summer. Sun-drenched days are all about fun in the pool, ice creams, water balloon fights and gallons of sunscreen. Maybe you have questions about sorting waste after all that summer fun? What happens to all those ice cream tubs, broken armbands or empty sunscreen tubes? We are happy to give you a refresher.

Ice cream packaging: PMD, residual waste or cardboard?
 

A fruity ice lolly or a scoop of delicious ice cream? There are so many delicious flavours and varieties, but they do come with some packaging. Here's where it all goes:


•    Plastic ice cream tubs: Once the tub is empty, it can go into PMD. Did you choose a celebratory ice cream with sprinkles or chocolate balls?  The plastic packaging still goes in PMD

plastic pot roomijs

•    Cardboard ice cream tub: Is the tub contaminated with sticky leftover ice cream? Put it in residual waste. The same goes for the cardboard tubes used as packaging for lollies like a 'Calippo'. Clean cardboard does go in with paper and cardboard, of course. That includes the cardboard box that is the outer packaging for those individual ice creams.

Kartonnen pot roomijs - restafval

•  Wrappers: The plastic wrappers around rocket lollies or other loose ice creams can go in the blue bag.

 

Tip: download our sorting guides and find out at a glance what goes where.

Frisco plastic verpakking - PMD

Sunscreen: tube or spray, PMD

On these hot summer days, you need plenty of skin protection. Do you use a tube of sunscreen, or do you prefer a quick spray? When it comes to sorting your waste, it makes no difference. The plastic tube and the metal spray can both go in the PMD bag. The simple rule is: empty plastic or metal containers go in the blue bag. 

Beware: these days you sometimes see sunscreen tubes in cardboard-like packaging. This does not go in PMD and it is not welcome in paper-cardboard either. These cardboard tubes belong in the residual waste.
 

tube zonnecrème - bij PMD

Inflatable toys? Not packaging = not PMD

In summer you see inflatable toys in all shapes and colours: a rainbow-coloured paddling pool, an inflatable flamingo, brightly coloured armbands or a translucent air mattress. When they break, they go in with residual waste. Remember that the PMD bag is only for collecting empty packaging. Inflatable plastic toys can interfere with the sorting process, so never put them in the blue bag.

Zwembad of opblaasmatras kapot? Bij het restafval!

Broken camping gear: take it to the recycling park

If you have a torn tent, a bent camping chair or a ruined sleeping bag at the end of your camping or festival trip, take these items to the recycling centre. They obviously don’t belong in the PMD bag, as they are items you use, not packaging.

kapotte tent weggooien? Naar het recyclagepark

 

Not sure about PMD? Think packaging

•    Broken water balloons: residual waste
•    Broken sunglasses: residual waste
•    Plastic disposable cups: PMD 
•    Water pistol: residual waste
•    Plastic toys: residual waste or recycling park
•    Flexible wine bag: PMD
 

 


 


 

Repairable or not broken? Reuse it!

Is your garden chair a bit discoloured but otherwise fine? Could your torn tent be patched up? Does your child not play in the plastic shell pool any more, but it is still perfectly usable? Don't just throw it all away. Give your stuff a new lease of life via a giveaway group or thrift shops. Or do your neighbours a favour and give it to them. It’s a great way to make a difference and let someone else have some summer fun. Many items can be repaired. Handy repair kits are available for tents and inflatable mattresses or other inflatable gear.
 

Still not sure where to put your waste? Enter the item you want to dispose of in the search box at the top of this page and find the right sorting instructions.