Recycling Basics:

Recycling:is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.

Benefits of Recycling

• Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators;
• Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals;
• Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials;
• Saves energy;
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change;
• Helps sustain the environment for future generations;
• Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries

Steps to Recycling Materials

Recycling includes the three steps below, which create a continuous loop, represented by the familiar recycling symbol.

• Step 1: Collection and Processing
  There are several methods for collecting recyclables, including curbside collection, drop-off centers, and deposit or refund programs. 

  After collection, recyclables are sent to a recovery facility to be sorted, cleaned, and processed into materials that can be used in manufacturing. Recyclables are bought and sold just like raw materials would be, and prices go up and down depending on supply and demand in the United States and the world.
• Step 2: Manufacturing
• More and more of today's products are being manufactured with recycled content. Common household items that contain recycled materials include:
  • newspapers and paper towels;
  • aluminum, plastic, and glass soft drink containers;
  • steel cans; and
  • plastic laundry detergent bottles.
  Recycled materials are also used in new ways such as recovered glass in asphalt to pave roads or recovered plastic in carpeting and park benches.