Recycling is the method of turning used and waste materials into new products. Recycling uses less energy and resources than making a new one, so it offers a big boost to the environment.
It is different from Reuse, where products are not destroyed and remanufactured but cleaned and repaired to be used again, also known as remanufacturing.
Many products are now marked with a variety of recycling symbols meant to help consumers and waste managers in separating recycled products and materials. Not all materials and products can be recycled, however. Those designed for disassembly or made from one material are the easiest. Even when used materials and products are recycled, often there is no economically viable market for these materials and they are either disposed of with other waste or stored in warehouses for future uses.
A lot of household waste can be broken down and reprocessed to make new things. Typical materials that are recycled include iron and steel scrap, aluminium cans, glass bottles, paper, wood, and plastics. There is no limit to what all and how much one can recycle if we exercise our creativity and ingenuity. The materials reused in recycling serve as substitutes for raw materials obtained from such increasingly scarce natural resources as petroleum, natural gas, coal, mineral ores, and trees. Recycling can help reduce the quantities of solid waste deposited in landfills, which have become increasingly expensive. Recycling also reduces the pollution of air, water, and land resulting from waste disposal.
Some simple methods through which we all can contribute to recycling include:
Obtaining the same or increased amount of utility or work from a product or process while using fewer resources, including energy, man-made materials, and natural resources such as...
One of the most sustainable strategies is simply to reduce the amount of energy and materials we use and, thus, are required to be manufactured. This reduction has an exponential e...
The process of cleaning and repairing used products and parts to be used again for replacements.