Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

Recycle, reuse!

Recycle what is once used so that it can be used again. Or use waste as a resource. These are activities that need to be internalised in order to protect the environment. There is still a lot of work to be done, including raising public awareness, but there are a number of experiences along the way that can be useful.

Recycling of textiles for use in the form of insulation materials; or recycling of automotive parts for use in the form of fuel or spare parts. In this report, produced by the European Union’s audiovisual agency, they will tell us about experiences that have already been carried out in different territories.

Decorate the walls of your home with jeans. It sounds crazy, but it may not be!

We're near Manchester

By Michael Walsh, Anglo: There are several companies around us that classify and retrieve clothes. We have asked one of them to separate the waste from the cowboy textiles so that they can be used in the manufacture of some new products and in something else.

We put the jeans on a conveyor belt and gradually reduce them. Metal parts, buttons and zippers are discarded by the machine.

By Michael Walsh, Anglo: At this point in the process, there are cowboy tissues that still need to be made smaller before they can be reused.

After the fibers are separated, they are compressed and formed into a mattress. Before they can be used as insulation in homes, they will be subjected to a fire treatment.

Nick Parsons, installer: This doesn't seem like a scratch. One can do it. It is very simple because the size can be adjusted, and because it is easy to break, we can get smaller pieces to cover the holes.

This material, in addition to being easy to install, is more environmentally friendly than many others used for insulation. However, it is also more expensive.

However, at the local level it could be a good economic option to recycle clothes and not just jeans.

By Michael Walsh, Anglo: We also use this wool in horticulture and flooring. We start from waste and turn it into a different kind of product. If we compare it to products produced from raw materials, we use much less energy in processes like this. With the passage of time, this trend is becoming stronger.

Individuals, companies, institutions... we all constantly produce waste. We generate 3 million tonnes of waste per year in the European Union. This means that we generate 5 tons per person, taking into account half a ton of household garbage.

For environmental and economic reasons, we must necessarily produce less waste. And along with that, we need to better separate, process and recycle the waste.

Jean Potocnik, EU: Recycling is a great opportunity to create new jobs and boost economic growth. We need to understand that waste is not a burden, but a new resource. A cell phone in my pocket. if 40 mobiles are recycled, one gram of gold can be extracted.

Given the pressure on raw materials, waste is gaining importance as a resource.

Gisèle Jung, researcher: Waste recovery is not an option, it is a necessity. When we see that raw materials are being depleted, it is clear that we need to recycle them and recover as much of our waste as possible.

There is still a long way to go before Europe becomes a recycling society. To this end, the European Union has adopted legislation that takes into account different types of waste and has set recycling targets in all of them. The automotive sector, for example, is a sector that requires a large amount of raw materials, which eventually turn into waste.

Raluca and Mihai live in Bucharest. To move around the capital, they use this car that is more than 15 years old.

About Mihai Martin: Maintenance is complex and expensive. It burns a lot of fuel and pollutes a lot. He's already done his job. Now you have to take it to the recycling station.

There are currently more than 200 recycling centres in Romania. With Mihai’s car, the process will be carried out with the 50,000 vehicles that arrive here every year.

The cars are first dismantled and cleaned. The oil and other liquids are drained and the windows and wheels are removed. The body is crushed and the trucks take it to other places. Smaller pieces are then removed and the iron-containing and non-iron-containing metals are separated.

Mihai in Sofia, Rematholding: In Romania we separate and recycle. We have markets for glass, paper, plastics, rubber, metals, motor oils and antifreeze.

Metals are used to make or recycle spare parts, while tyres and engine fluids are used as fuel, especially in the cement industry. Today, in Romania, 85% of car materials are reused in one way or another. These wastes are an important resource for the country. And, given the situation of most cars in Romania, it should be said that it is a huge resource.

Mihai in Sofia, Rematholding: In Romania we have almost a million and a half cars that are more than 10 years old. This program is what the country needs.

The Romanian government subsidizes the purchase of a new car for 1,000 euros. The new vehicle will have to comply with the CO2 emissions regulations and will have a low fuel consumption. New cars are also better designed for recycling in the future.

This is the research center of Dacia-Renault, market leader in Romania. For several years, it has been necessary to develop a system that considers recycling from the moment of design.

By Stefan Macea, Dacia: we want to achieve the most demanding objectives of the vehicle law, which will come into force in Europe in 2015, as quickly as possible. This is a challenge because vehicles will be reused, recovered or recycled almost entirely, for example, to obtain energy.

Dacia is introducing recycled material into new cars. 15% of the plastic used in the latest models is recycled. For the time being, it has only been used for fenders and shock absorbers.

Georgiana, Luciana Enache Dacia: We're looking at where to put more recycled plastic. Not only do we take care of the environment, but we also save money.

It's a big challenge. Reducing waste production is important, we need to see waste as a resource and improve its management. Environmental protection and the sustainability of our growth are at stake.