To cap off our resource management unit in geography, our class participated in a multiday recycling exercise starting with sorting waste (in the recycling room at the school) and then taking a trip to a recycling center nearby (Pelowatta scrap center), where we sold our sorted recyclables for adding to the recycling service group budget.
This proved to be a learning experience for all of us, learning several things, that you can be payed for your waste if you’re willing to make an effort and what things can be recycled and what cannot, for example tissue papers cannot be recycled, and this particular center did not recycle shredded paper however cardboard is recyclable and they will therefore offer a fixed price of Rs30 per kg for it. This price fluxuates over time and is not constant.
The current rates are stated below in SLR per KG
Weighing assorted cardboard boxes and other recyclables Credit: Thevuni
The short, 1kmish walk from school to the recycling shop Credit: Thevuni
Plastic bottle: 40
Copper: 650
Aluminium: 100
Beer can (individual): 40
Battery: 100 for big 50 for small
Book (individual): 10
Cardboard: 30
Because we sorted 39kg of cardboard waste (shredded paper was not exchanged) we had a total profit of Rs1,170, which may not seem like a lot, but once considering weekly nature of what this service usually is and the somewhat spontaneous nature of this particular excursion, we can prove how much revenue you can get back from simply recycling your garbage.