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Speaker: Finn
Is waste sorting common in your country?
Well, it’s quite common, especially in big cities, at least in theory. There are different bins for different types of waste, and people are supposed to sort everything before throwing it away. But honestly, I don’t think most people actually bother. A lot of people just put everything in one bag and take it downstairs to one of the large communal bins.
What kind of rubbish do you usually have at home?
Mostly food waste and packaging, I’d say. There’s quite a lot of plastic, things like wrappers, containers and bottles, as well as cardboard from deliveries. I don’t really separate it as I go, though. I normally just put everything in the same rubbish bag.
How do you recycle things like paper and plastic?
To be honest, I don’t really recycle them separately. I know we’re supposed to, and there are separate bins for paper and plastic, but at home I usually just put everything in the same bag. When I take it downstairs, I just put the bag into one of the large communal bins.
Do you usually separate your rubbish before throwing it away?
Not really, no. I know that’s what you’re supposed to do, but most people I know don’t bother doing it at home. It’s much easier just to put everything in one bag and take it outside. I guess if there were a stricter system, people might be more likely to sort it properly.
What do you usually do with empty bottles and cans?
If I’m at home, they normally just go into the same rubbish bag as everything else. Sometimes I’ll keep a few bottles if there’s a recycling collection or a separate bin nearby, but I wouldn’t say I do it consistently. Most of the time, I just throw them away with the rest of my rubbish.
Did you recycle when you were a kid?
Not really, no. I knew that recycling existed, but my family didn’t have a strict system at home. We’d basically put our household rubbish into a bag and take it outside. I think I became more aware of recycling later on, when I started living in a big city.
What do you do when you see rubbish on the street?
Honestly, I usually just walk past it. Unless I’ve dropped it myself, I don’t normally pick up other people’s rubbish. Even if there’s a bin nearby, I probably wouldn’t bother. I know it’s not particularly responsible, but I think that’s fairly normal where I live.
Are there many recycling bins in the place where you live?
Yeah, there are quite a few. You’ll usually find separate bins for things like plastic, paper, and general waste, especially in residential areas. The funny thing is, though, that people don’t always use them properly. It’s pretty common to see different types of rubbish mixed together in the same bin.
Do you think people in your country produce too much rubbish?
Yeah, definitely. I think we throw away a lot of packaging and disposable stuff, and online shopping has probably made it worse. But at the same time, I don’t think most people are deliberately wasteful. It’s just convenient to buy things, use them and throw the packaging away.
What do you do to reduce the amount of rubbish you produce?
Honestly, not a huge amount. I try not to waste food, and sometimes I’ll reuse a shopping bag rather than getting a new one. But apart from that, I probably produce a fairly normal amount of rubbish. I know there are things I could do differently, but it’s not something I actively think about every day.
Speaker: Blondie
Is waste sorting common in your country?
Oh, absolutely. Especially in cities, the rules can be surprisingly strict. Every area has its own system for separating things like burnable waste, non-burnable waste, plastics, and cans. But if I’m being completely honest, when you’re a busy adult working late, trying to remember which category a particular plastic container belongs in can feel like a psychological test.
What kind of rubbish do you usually have at home?
Mostly food packaging, takeaway containers, and plastic bottles. Since I work long hours, I end up buying quite a lot of ready-made meals or getting takeaway. Even when you buy something pretty simple, there’s often a surprising amount of packaging, so the plastic pile grows pretty quickly.
How do you recycle things like paper and plastic?
I try my best, but honestly, it’s a chore. For plastic bottles, you’re technically supposed to rinse them, peel off the label, and separate the cap. If I have time on the weekend, I’ll do it properly. But on a Tuesday night when I’m exhausted? Sometimes I just shove it into whatever bin is closest and hope for the best.
Do you usually separate your rubbish before throwing it away?
I have to, really. Otherwise, they can leave my rubbish bag behind with a warning sticker. It happened to me once when I accidentally put a plastic tray in the burnable bag, and it was so embarrassing. So now I sort it out of pure fear of social shame, not necessarily because I love doing it.
What do you usually do with empty bottles and cans?
If I’m out, I usually look for a recycling bin, though some of them are specifically for bottles and cans. At home, I rinse them out and save them for the collection day. My building has a particular day for bottles and cans, so I normally just keep them until then.
Did you recycle when you were a kid?
Not really by choice, but my parents were pretty strict about it. My mom used to wash out bottles and flatten milk cartons religiously. Back then it just felt like an annoying household rule, but it definitely drilled the habit into me, so sorting trash now is just second nature.
What do you do when you see rubbish on the street?
Honestly? I usually just walk past it. If it’s something I’ve dropped myself, obviously I’ll pick it up, but I wouldn’t normally pick up someone else’s rubbish. And since there aren’t always bins around, I’d have to carry it with me, so I’d probably just leave it.
Are there many recycling bins in the place where you live?
Not really on the streets. You can sometimes walk for quite a while without seeing a public trash can. But at my apartment building, we have a designated, enclosed garbage collection area on the ground floor where everyone sorts their bags into the building’s large bins.
Do you think people in your country produce too much rubbish?
Oh, 100%. People tend to use a lot of disposable packaging, and if you look at what gets thrown away every day, there’s a huge amount of plastic. It’s convenient, obviously, but sometimes you buy one small thing and somehow end up with three layers of packaging around it.
What do you do to reduce the amount of rubbish you produce?
I carry a reusable shopping bag in my backpack so I don’t have to use plastic bags when I’m shopping, and I use a reusable water bottle. But aside from those basic habits, my daily routine still generates way more packaging waste than I’d like to admit.
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