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January 11, 2022
 • 
Yara Bakker

The Byewaste service and how it works

Are you curious about how we reuse and recycle your discarded items in collaboration with our partners? Then continue reading, because in this blog we go into detail about the processes for each item category.

By now, your discarded items have been collected by us and you can finally enjoy a tidy house again. But where did these items end up? Since standard recycling procedures differ for different types of materials, we will discuss each item category separately.

The following topics will be covered in this article:

  1. Books
  2. Electronics
  3. Toys
  4. Textile

Books

Do you have books that have been sitting on the shelf unread for years, gathering dust? We can help you with that! If the collected books are still in good condition, they are given a second life with the help of local thrift shops. In the case of Capelle aan den IJssel, for example, this would be thrift store Het Goed. This way, you do someone else a big favor with your old favourite book, and you create new space on the shelf for your next one.

However, if the books are unreadable or too damaged, we will bring them to a local recycling center. There, professionals will ensure that the material from which they are made is reused in the correct way. As a result, fewer trees have to be cut down for the production of new paper.

Did you know that paper can be recycled up to six times? However, this is only possible if the paper is handed in separately. When this is not the case, the paper is almost always too polluted to be properly recycled.

Stapels boeken
Did you know… That no less than 80% of the newly produced paper and cardboard in the Netherlands consists of recycled paper?

Electronics

E-waste is the most polluting waste stream there is. To illustrate, we have listed some facts for you:

  • 70% of all pollution due to waste is caused by e-waste;
  • A single battery can pollute as much as 167,000 liters of water;
  • No less than 40,000 tonnes of household electronic waste is incinerated in the Netherlands every year.


It is therefore highly important that your old electronics are recycled correctly. We are happy to help you with this. If your old appliances are still in good condition, we will ensure that they get a new owner.

If this is not the case, we will first check whether a reparation would suffice. If not, the device’s individual parts are reused whenever possible. The remaining materials are then repurposed as raw materials for new products.

It is very important that this task is executed with great caution, since e-waste often contains polluting or even toxic substances. That is why we entrust this task to the best local recycling centers, such as Irado.

Elektronische apparaten
Did you know… That every Dutch citizen produces an average of 80 kilos of household waste per year, of which consists of e-waste?

Toys

We make other children happy with your old toys. These are offered again to the local community through thrift shops if they are still good for another round.

Even if this is not the case, you are doing the planet a favour by giving us your old toys. We collaborate with local recycling centers to ensure that these toys are recycled correctly.

Toys are often made from several different materials, meaning that it can sometimes be difficult to figure out where to hand them in for recycling. By placing a request in our app, you leave this task over to us.

Did you know… That more and more brands are producing toys from sustainable materials? In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, these toys often last longer. A win-win situation!

Textile

An enormous amount of textile is lost every day, as no less than 70% ends up in the waste bin. Since this contaminates the material due to which it can no longer be recycled, this has major consequences for the environment. A real pity, since as much as 92% of the collected textiles can be reused.

If you let us pick up your old clothes, you are doing good for the environment. We ensure that all textiles that are still in a good condition end up in local thrift stores, where they can be bought by your neighbors for a cheap price.

In the case that the textile is in a bad condition, we ensure that it will be recycled in the right way together with our partners. For example, your old clothing can be repurposed as raw material for cleaning cloths or as insulation material.

Een stapel textiel
Did you know… That the average Dutch citizen hands in 5 kilos of textile waste separately each year, but that at the same time 9 kilos end up in the residual waste per person?

By using the Byewaste service you ensure that as little valuable material as possible is lost, without having to put in too much effort yourself. Every pick-up brings us closer to a future without waste. We hope that we can help you get rid of your old items soon!