Solidarity recycling

Recycling is not only beneficial to the environment. It can go much further and be of great value to people who are going through hard times.

The concept we are talking about is solidarity recycling. Nonprofit associations, foundations, families or just anonymous people organized to collect any recyclable element raising awareness in the society for financial gain allocated focused on a particular action.

It is perhaps the most widespread type of solidarity recycling due to its collection simplicity. Recycling companies pay between 220 and 330 dollars per ton received.

In Spain, the initiative Caps for a new life, by SEUR Foundation, has already collected nearly 3,400 tons of caps, which have served to raise more than 774,000 dollars and help around a hundred children with health problems: treatments, research , medical equipment ... the solidarity of more than thirteen million people and the collaboration of organizations such as FEAPS (Federation of Organizations for persons with Intellectual Disability, in Spanish) make it possible.

The tabs of soda cans can also play an important role after being used, like caps, and there are several Spanish organizations who have already used this initiative to raise funds. This is the case of the City of Velilla de San Antonio, which in 2014 swept through the city this practice to donate money to the Association of Relatives of Patients with Alzheimer's and other dementias of the Henares Corridor, or West Syndrome Foundation, which in 2012 used the money raised after collecting thousands of rings in the development of a genomic map to open new lines of research on this rare childhood disease.

Another object that we use daily and throw away easily when we consider that no longer serves us is the mobile phone. However, it can be useful to others. Intermón Oxfam, in collaboration with Eureka Mobile, set up in 2009 the campaign With your old phone you can change lives. This is an initiative that collects the cellphones to send them to the neediest countries, where they will be reused or fixed. Components that no longer function are disposed properly.

The empty ink cartridges also have a significant value, so there are many associations dedicated to collect them. It is the case of D'Genes, a rare diseases association. In collaboration with the shipping company Nacex, D'Genes offers companies and individuals the opportunity to participate in the collection of empty toners to pay for medical research.

As you've seen, many of the things that we often consider garbage can still play a very important role in society. Get informed before throwing away any of these objects and collaborate as far you can with these campaings to make the world a better place.

Sources: SEUR Foundation, FEAPS, Villanueva del Pardillo City Council, Velilla City Council, D’Genes Association, Oxfam Intermón and Lanzarote Recicla.