Recycling can be described as processing of used or waste products into new or similar products. The idea of recycle is to prevent:-

•     Waste of possibly useful materials.
•     Reduce the intake of fresh raw resources.
•     Reduce energy utilization.
•     Reduce air pollution for example from incineration
•     Cut down water pollution for example from landfilling

Thus with recycling we are actually reduce the necessity for “conventional” waste materials disposal because some of the useful waste material we re-use them. In addition we are also achieving lower greenhouse gas emissions because we avoid the process to be re produced.

Recyclable goods could be many kinds of glass, paper, rubber, tire, metal, plastic, textiles, electronics and many more. Composting or other reuses of biodegradable wastes such as food or garden waste are not typically considered recycling eventhough almost similar in effect.

Recycling Ideas

There are so many ways or methods for recycling especially nowadays when many engineers, scientists, designers and professionals invented and design various technologies and methods in recycling. We have articles and videos with constantly new updates and please check our section of “Green Videos” and “Green Tech Info” to learn more. Perhaps you could get more ideas of recycling when visiting them.

Municipality Waste

The regular methods of recycling which is being implement by town or city municipality is the materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials through manufacturing.

Same Good as Before Recycling

Recycling of a material could also produce the same material as it before recycling. For example used office paper would be recycled into new office paper, or used foamed polystyrene into new polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive comparing with producing the same product from raw materials. Thus most of the new materials after recycling would be different materials than the original materials before recycling. For instance the used paper office would be converted into paperboard instead.

Extracting the Valuable Materials

Another form of recycling is to save certain materials from any complex or expensive products, especially due to their intrinsic value, such as lead from car batteries and gold from computer components. In addition, it also is being done due to their hazardous nature for example removal and reuse of mercury from various items.

Source Reduction

Source reduction is a way of looking into recycling even before any products or goods being produced. For instance, source reduction involves initiatives to reduce hazardous waste and other materials by modifying industrial production. It includes changes in manufacturing technology, raw material inputs, and product formulation. One of the most popular terms that is used by producers is “pollution prevention”.

One of the ways for source reduction is to increase incentives for recycling. For instance many communities in the United States are implementing variable rate pricing for waste disposal (also known as Pay As You Throw – PAYT) which has been effective in reducing the size of the municipal waste stream.

Source reduction is typically measured by efficiencies and savings in waste materials. Toxics use reduction is a more questionable approach to source reduction that focuses on and measures reductions use of toxic materials. Toxics use reduction highlights more preventive issues with source reduction but, because of its increased exposure of toxic chemical inputs, it has been opposed more vigorously by chemical manufacturers.

Basically, recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” waste hierarchy.

Waste Hierachy

The waste hierarchy is basically referring to the 3Rs of reduce, reuse, and recycle, which categorize waste management methods according to their desirability. The 3Rs are sorted as a hierarchy following the order of importance. However in Europe the waste hierarchy has 5 steps: reduce, reuse, recycle, recovery, and disposal.

Although the waste hierarchy has taken many forms over the past decade, however the basic concept has remained the same which is ways or strategies to minimize waste. The aim of creating the waste hierarchy is to have the best practical benefits and to generate the minimum amount of waste.

Some waste management professionals have incorporated a ‘fourth R’: “Re-think”, with the suggested meaning that the present system may need some fundamental corrections. Thus, the effective system of waste management may need an entirely new way of looking at waste.