EeD's eco-tip: how to sort unclassifiable waste

Each country (even regions or municipalities) try to find the way to ease waste collection to recycle certain materials or to optimise energy recovery through waste incineration. There are well-intentioned people all around the World eager to recycle. But, is waste sorted properly? What do we do when a waste product combines more than one material? 
​As an example, I found this broken hanger. The body is made of polypropylene (PP) and the hook of steel. Where should I throw away this hanger? plastics? metals? incineration?

A short  background description. In Switzerland, generally, disposal points differentiate PET, aluminium (cans), glass, batteries, light-bulbs, non PET plastics (HDPE, PP), paper. Less commons are organic waste, cardboard, domestic metals (tins), clothing, and such. Such wide classification is kind of confusing, isn't it? But when facing confusion, Swiss citizens use a Joker: a white taxed bag where they can put whatever.

We all will agree: waste should be sorted before disposal. But most people don't have 8-10 different rubbish bins at home. Later, at the collection point, is far too late. Besides, lack of knowledge about materials and their recovery process make collection and recycling less efficient. I myself found the disposal of a simple hanger rather difficult. 

For Circular Economy and ecodesign engineering, material recovery or recycling (or alternatively energy recovery) are essential. Here we give you some general tips to sort your waste (regardless your country) when the products include several materials. 

​Eco-tip:

1. Try to separate materials manually when possible before disposal. An easy first-step sorting process separates paper, glass, metals, plastics, and others. Then, go after following points. 
2. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), including toys and devices carrying chips, cables, batteries, and the like, shall be disposed of in special containers at your local recycling point. Do never throw away WEEE in a regular bin!
3. Plastics have less value than metals. If you can't separate plastics from metals, put the mix in the container for metals. 
4. Separate aluminium when possible. It requires much energy in production from raw materials. You may recognise aluminium because of its lightness and because magnets do not stick to it. 
5. Different plastics have different properties and cannot be recycled together. Separate plastics by following the symbols - find more information here - or according to your local requirements (Swiss rules distinguish between "PET" - #1 - and "Others")
6. Never pour oils by the kitchen sink or in the toilette! when oil recycling is not allowed, absorb it with used kitchen papers and put it in a regular garbage bag. 
7. If organic waste is used for biogas production, avoid mixing bones, eggshells, plastics, and chemicals. Dry organic waste works well, too.
8. Wood is not cardboard nor paper (despite they come from wood). They are generally treated or coated and so they go separately. 
9. If paper is covered with oil, too dirty, or is mixed with plastics, put it in a regular container. Magazine paper is likewise recyclable.
10. Glass and ceramics are different materials. Do not put ceramics in the glass container. In addition, the bottle lids are made of tin, and should go elsewhere (to a container for metals, for instance). 
11. compress your waste and empty out liquids there contained before disposal. The flatter and compact you make it, the lesser the air you carry in  your rubbish bag.

There are many other tips that we could come up with, but it may be enough for a post. We may add some more in a future. By the way, the hanger was split into hook and body: the hook to the domestic metals container, and the plastic to a white bag for energy recovery.