Recycling is taking something that has been used in its current form for as long as it can be useful and repurposing it into something new that can be used instead of throwing it away. Typically, recyclables are collected at your home, work or school and sorted into bins. A hauler then takes them to a facility where the materials are recovered. Once the materials are separated, they are sold to companies that reformat them in a way that allows them to be used in new items.

Recycling is not limited to curbside collection, it is part of a larger system for living sustainably. It reduces the amount of refuse going to the landfill and preserves natural resources and the environment for future generations by reusing materials to create new products. Since materials are being reused for the production of new products, there is less strain put on the environment than if they had to be acquired each time a new product was made.

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Other Sources

EPA. “Recycling Basics.” EPA. April 7, 2016. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics. Accessed May 12, 2016.