第1451期:A matter of waste

Should you recycle the box from your takeaway pizza or throw it away? 您应该从外卖披萨中回收盒子还是扔掉它？Can you recycle aerosol cans? Is all plastic recyclable? How clued up about recycling are you?你能回收气雾罐吗？所有塑料都可以回收吗？你对回收利用有多了解？We probably all know that recycling is good for the environment.我们可能都知道回收对环境有益。 It saves energy and limits the drain on Earth's resources. 它可以节省能源并限制地球资源的消耗。But do you know which items you should or shouldn't recycle?但是您知道哪些物品应该或不应该回收吗？In the UK, we have a well-established system of kerbside recycling.在英国，我们拥有完善的路边回收系统。 Most people expect to separate recyclable material from general refuse. 大多数人希望将可回收材料与一般垃圾分开。A typical household recycles paper, cardboard, plastic and glass bottles, foil and drinks cans. 一个典型的家庭回收纸、纸板、塑料和玻璃瓶、铝箔和饮料罐。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.现在还收集食物和花园垃圾。但在过去四年中，英格兰拒绝回收的物品数量增加了 84%，主要是由于污染。Many items end up in landfill or being incinerated when, with more care, they could be recycled. 许多物品最终进入垃圾填埋场或被焚烧，但如果更加小心，它们可以被回收利用。The problem often stems from confusion over what and how to recycle.问题通常源于对什么和如何回收的混淆。Across the UK the system of recycling differs between local authorities, and multiple containers are used for different types of recyclables. 在英国各地，地方当局的回收系统各不相同，不同类型的可回收物使用多个容器。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. 在一个地区，可能有一个大型带轮垃圾桶用于回收所有家居用品，另一个用于花园垃圾，还有一个用于一般垃圾。There are also composting food caddies – a small one for the kitchen and a larger one for the kerbside.还有堆肥食品罐——厨房用的小罐子和路边的大罐子。 These use compostable bags for food waste, including tea bags, coffee grindings and egg shells. 这些使用可堆肥袋来处理食物垃圾，包括茶包、咖啡粉和蛋壳。A few streets away, another council may use a separate container just for glass bottles. 几条街之外，另一个议会可能会使用一个单独的容器来装玻璃瓶。Waste collection times vary – either weekly or fortnightly. 废物收集时间各不相同——每周或每两周一次。Each week, you have to remember which bin has to go out. It's all highly confusing.每周，您都必须记住必须取出哪个垃圾箱。这一切都非常令人困惑。One of the biggest problems recycling firms face is food contamination. 回收公司面临的最大问题之一是食品污染。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. 如果您的塑料奶瓶是空的，可以回收利用，但如果其中含有少量牛奶，则可能会导致塑料回收过程受到污染。Likewise, paper fibres cannot be recycled if they are contaminated with food, so a cheesy pizza box shouldn't be recycled.同样，如果纸纤维被食物污染，则不能回收利用，因此不应该回收俗气的比萨盒。Conscientious consumers are constantly faced with recycling conundrums. You've just finished a carton of juice. 有良心的消费者不断面临回收难题。你刚喝完一盒果汁。Should you remove the plastic cap before recycling the carton? You feel the fate of the planet lies in your hands.在回收纸箱之前是否应该取下塑料盖？你觉得这个星球的命运掌握在你的手中。 My advice:stop worrying and crack open a bottle of beer! …Hang on!…. what should you do with the bottle top?!我的建议：别担心，打开一瓶啤酒！ …不挂断！…。你应该怎么处理瓶盖？！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