How Countries Around the World Protect the Environment

Netherlands: 30% of Dutch people use their bike to go to work every day, and the majority of school kids bike to school as well.

Germany: It is illegal to wash cars in a person’s own driveway, because the chemicals that are used in the cleaners can damage and pollute the ground water that drips into the sewer. Instead, people take their cars to the car wash because they have special systems that filter the water from the chemicals! Germany also has the highest recycling rate in Europe, and over 70% of the waste is recycled each year! They also have 6 special colored bins to place trash in—here’s a guide on what each color means:
o Yellow bin – packaging
o Blue bin – paper and cardboard
o White bin – white or clear glass
o Brown bin – brown glass
o Green bin – green glass
o “Bio” bin – leftover food and plant waste

• Iceland: Turf homes are popular in Iceland because they naturally insulate the rooms inside, and look pretty cool from the outside!

• Costa Rica: This country has about 30% of its land protected by the government, and operates many environmentally-friendly tours to stop pollution.

• Hong Kong: The government recently introduced plastic dollar bills in recent years, which last longer than traditional paper bills and also save many trees!

• Laos: There’s a special eco-friendly school for teenagers that come from many villages, and they learn techniques such as solar-drying bananas, and then implement them in their hometowns