I've heard the rumors, but I received confirmation today: It's finally possible to recycle plastic in the Netherlands! Since the beginning of March 2010, almost all cities have started plastic recycling. Each city does things a little differently: Some cities work with special Heroes Plastic containers, which allow inhabitants of the cities to toss their plastic waste in special collection containers (often found next to the existing glass and paper recycling). Other cities are using special Heroes Plastic bags. These bags are provided to inhabitants who fill them and can put them out at specified dates and times. Finally, some cities are separating plastic waste from the regular rubbish. So if you live somewhere that no changes seem to have occurred, don't despair - your city might be doing all the work for you.

This is big news especially for us who have had to - for years - painfully throw our plastic garbage in with the rest of the rubbish. Keep an eye out for this new option. If you want to practice your Dutch and learn more about plastic, check out the Plastic Heroes site. It gives comprehensive information about plastic in general and the situation in the Netherlands.