Ready, steady, SORT!

The selective or ecological sorting of waste is already second nature to many of us and concerns us all. As the GS Department's new awareness-raising campaign reminds us, everything we do to sort waste contributes to preserving the environment. 
 

Environmental protection is never far from the headlines, and CERN has a responsibility to ensure that the 3000 tonnes and more of waste it produces every year are correctly and selectively sorted. Materials can be given a second life through recycling and re-use, thereby avoiding pollution from landfill sites and incineration plants and saving on processing costs.

The GS Department is launching a new poster campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of waste sorting and recycling. "After conducting a survey to find out whether members of the personnel were prepared to make an effort to sort and recycle waste, we introduced improvements to facilitate the sorting of aluminium cans, PET bottles and coffee capsules, which are taken to special recycling centres for reprocessing", explains Martine Auerbach of the GS Department, who is in charge of the campaign.

Raising awareness about the importance of sorting and recycling at CERN also requires good information and communication. "Our goal is not only to place a sufficient number of bottle banks and waste containers at strategic points across the CERN site but also to make sure that they are correctly and visibly identified", explains Martine.

On Martine's initiative, a brochure entitled "What Goes Where" has been drawn up and made widely available. Every new arrival now receives a copy of the brochure during the induction programme. "We hope that new arrivals will acquire and maintain good habits if we manage to get their attention right at the start", she concludes.

Waste sorting exhibition An exhibition of information panels on waste sorting and recycling will be held in the Main Building from 1 to 5 November. All types of waste produced at CERN will be featured, particularly paper, which we consume in large quantities. Objects made from recycled materials by children from the CERN kindergarten will also be displayed. Demonstrations on the recycling of different types of waste will take place every lunchtime throughout the week. Placemats (see picture) printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based ink will soon be distributed in Restaurant No.1. Come along and find out what you can do for the environment!

by Laëtitia Pedroso