Recycling waste is a way to reuse various products instead of having them end up in a landfill or incinerator. New materials are made from these wastes. Products that are recycled include household products such as glass, cans, certain plastics and paper. Industrial-type products such as motor oil, large aluminum products, window glass and cardboard are also recycled. There are several parts to the process of recycling waste.
Collect
The first step in recycling is to collect the materials that can be recycled. There are systems in place to collect recyclable materials at the county or city level and at the state level, depending on where you live. It is not mandatory for all U.S. citizens to recycle. The most common way to recycle, if your municipality has a program in place, is to put recyclable items in a separate container for your refuse collector to pick up and take to a recycling plant. Another way to recycle is to take your items directly to a drop-off center.
Prepare
Old newspapers and cardboard go to paper mills to be recycled. This is often done by contract because the material has to be of a certain quality to be recycled. Glass needs to be be clean and should not be broken. Different forms of glass need to be recycled separately from each other. The lids and bottoms of tin cans should be removed and the rinsed cans flattened.
Manufacture
The next part of the recycling process happens when the materials are made into new products. The way this is done depends on the material. Paper products are chemically washed to remove ink and contaminants are also removed. The old paper is made into pulp, strengthened by mixing with other materials, and processed into reusable paper. Old glass begins its makeover by being broken into small pieces and going through a mechanical process to remove non-glass parts. Tin will be transformed using chemical and electrical processes to de-tin the cans and produce the steel that is used to make new products. The tin goes through a complex process to get a usable product that chemical companies use. Aluminum is melted and processed to be ready for creating new cans or auto parts. Used oil is manufactured by removing the water from the oil, filtering and further processing to make it ready to be used as fuel or fuel oil.
Buy
Buying recycled products is a big part of making the recycling process work and come full circle. There is a symbol that is placed on recycled products that designates the fact that the products were recycled from waste materials. There are also new products you may buy that use materials recycled from different sources, but are not identified as recycled. You can find directories online to learn more about recycled products and about where and how the products are recycled.
Use
The last part of the recycling waste process is using the recycled products. The Environmental Protection Agency says that there are over 4,500 products with recycled parts available for use. The use of recycled products is supported by individuals and private businesses as well as local and national government agencies. Using recycled products is a way that you can support green initiatives that help the environment on a daily basis.
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