A matter of waste
废物回收一两事
Should you recycle the box from your takeaway pizza or throw it away? Can you recycle aerosol cans? Is all plastic recyclable? How clued up about recycling are you?
你应该回收外卖披萨的包装盒还是把它扔掉?气溶胶罐能回收吗?所有的塑料都是可回收的吗?你对回收利用了解多少?
We probably all know that recycling is good for the environment. It saves energy and limits the drain on Earth's resources. But do you know which items you should or shouldn't recycle?
我们可能都知道回收利用对环境有好处。它节约能源,减少地球资源的消耗。但是你知道哪些东西应该回收,哪些不应该回收吗?
In the UK, we have a well-established system of kerbside recycling. Most people expect to separate recyclable material from general refuse. A typical household recycles paper, cardboard, plastic and glass bottles, foil and drinks cans. Food and garden waste is now also collected. But in the last four years, the number of items rejected for recycling in England has gone up by 84%, mainly as a result of contamination. Many items end up in landfill or being incinerated when, with more care, they could be recycled. The problem often stems from confusion over what and how to recycle.
在英国,我们有一个完善的路边回收系统。大多数人希望将可回收材料与一般垃圾分开。一个典型的家庭会回收纸、纸板、塑料和玻璃瓶、箔纸和饮料罐。现在也收集食物和花园垃圾。但在过去的四年里,英国拒绝回收的物品数量增加了84%,这主要是由于污染。许多废料最终会被填埋或焚烧,但只要用心就能发现它们是可以回收利用的。这个问题通常源于对回收什么以及如何回收的困惑。
Across the UK the system of recycling differs between local authorities, and multiple containers are used for different types of recyclables. In one area there may be one large wheelie bin for recycling all household items, another for garden waste, and yet another for general waste. There are also composting food caddies - a small one for the kitchen and a larger one for the kerbside. These use compostable bags for food waste, including tea bags, coffee grindings and egg shells. A few streets away, another council may use a separate container just for glass bottles. Waste collection times vary - either weekly or fortnightly. Each week, you have to remember which bin has to go out. It's all highly confusing.
在英国各地,地方政府的回收系统各不相同,不同类型的可回收物品使用不同的容器。在一个区域可能有一个大的轮状垃圾桶用于回收所有的家庭用品,另一个用于回收花园垃圾,还有一个用于盛放一般垃圾。此外,还有堆肥食品罐——小的用于厨房,大的用于路边。它们使用可分解的袋子来处理食物垃圾,包括茶包、咖啡粉和蛋壳。几条街之外,另一个委员会可能会使用一个单独的容器来装玻璃瓶。废物收集时间周期可以是每周或每两周。每个星期,你都要记住哪个箱子要拿出去。这些都非常令人困惑。
One of the biggest problems recycling firms face is food contamination. If your plastic milk bottle is empty, it's ok to recycle it, but if it contains a small amount of milk, it could result in contamination of the plastic recycling process. Likewise, paper fibres cannot be recycled if they are contaminated with food, so a cheesy pizza box shouldn't be recycled.
回收公司面临的最大问题之一是食品污染。如果你的塑料奶瓶是空的,可以回收,但如果它含有少量的牛奶,它可能会导致塑料回收过程的污染。同样,如果纸纤维被食物污染,就不能回收,所以奶酪披萨盒也不应该回收。
Conscientious consumers are constantly faced with recycling conundrums. You've just finished a carton of juice. Should you remove the plastic cap before recycling the carton? You feel the fate of the planet lies in your hands. My advice:stop worrying and crack open a bottle of beer! …Hang on!…. what should you do with the bottle top?!
有责任心的消费者经常面临回收难题。刚喝完的一盒果汁,在回收之前,应该把塑料盖取下来吗?你觉得地球的命运掌握在你手中。我的建议是:别担心,开一瓶啤酒!……等等!....瓶盖该怎么处理?!
词汇表
aerosol
喷雾器
clued up
对某事了解很多,熟知的
kerbside
马路边
refuse
废物,垃圾
foil
锡,箔(纸)
contamination
污染
landfill
垃圾填埋,垃圾填埋场
to incinerate
焚烧
local authority
地方政府
recyclable
可回收的
wheelie bin
带轮子的垃圾箱
composting
制作堆肥的
caddy
小罐
coffee grindings
咖啡渣
council
市政
paper fibres
纸纤维
conscientious
认真的,用心的
conundrum
难题,复杂的问题
carton
塑料盒
cap
瓶盖
bottle top
瓶盖