Do you have a special bin box in your classroom where you place your used papers? Have you ever seen garbage cans in restaurants and on the street that say recycle? At home or at school, you may be encouraged to recycle things like bottles, paper and other items when you're finished with them instead of just throwing them into the trash.
Recycling is very important. Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, prevents pollution from those wastes, and conserves natural resources such as water, timber, and minerals. Recycling also saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. But do you know what is recycling mean? And how do you explain recycling to a child? In this article, we will explore it.
What is recycling definition?
What does recycling do? In simple words, recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new products. This is also a collection process that involves the treatment and reuse of waste generated during human activities. Recycling is an important part of circular economy. By recycling waste, resource consumption and environmental pollution can be reduced, achieving sustainable development.
There are three steps for successful recycling. First items to be recycled need to be collected. You might have noticed that in addition to your regular trash cans or bins. You may have a blue or green can too. Lots of communities provide these cans in addition to the regular trash cans. You can put your recyclable items in these cans. They are then picked up by big trucks like your trash. But unlike your trash, the items in the recyclable cans are taken to the recycling centers. Second, the items must be sorted into different categories, like paper, glass, aluminum and plastic. That's because each material is recycled differently from the other. So it’s important to keep the paper with the paper and the plastic with the plastic. Third, the recycled items must be processed at a recycling plant in special ways depending on what the item is. For example, magnets are used to separate different types of cans and then they are washed and smashed. After that the cans are melted down in a hot furnace, and then the metal is formed into something new.
How do you explain recycling to a child?
You can explain recycling for kids in this way. Recycling is like giving new life to old things. Just like how you reuse toys or clothes, we can reuse materials too.
What is recycling materials?
Recycling materials are environmentally friendly materials that can be recycled and reused, such as old bottles, clothes, etc., which are then crushed and reprocessed into fibers. The resulting yarn is the yarn containing recycled materials, and the clothes made from this yarn are the clothes containing recycled materials.
What is GRS Certification?
The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international, voluntary, full product standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of Recycled Content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. It's used to demonstrate that the factory has the ability to manage recycled materials and specialized materials in all aspects of production, including raw materials, production, warehousing, and delivery.
Types of recycling materials
What are some examples of recycling? Different materials can be recycled, including paper, plastics, metals, glass, and fabric.
Recycling paper
Recycling paper mainly includes newspapers, magazines, books, various packaging papers, office paper, paper boxes, etc. However, tissues and toilet paper cannot be recycled due to their strong water solubility.
Plastic
Plastic mainly includes: various plastic bags, plastic packaging materials, disposable plastic lunch boxes and tableware, toothbrushes, cups, mineral water bottles, etc.
Glass
Glass mainly includes: various glass bottles, broken glass pieces, mirrors, light bulbs, etc;
Metals
Metals mainly include: cans, metal cans, etc;
Fabric
The fabrics mainly include: discarded clothes, towels, backpacks, cloth shoes, etc.
Recycle toilet paper
Used paper is chopped into tiny pieces then turned into a pulp by adding water. After that it's bleached and chemicals are added. Then it's ready to be made into new paper.
This recycled toilet paper can help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. We use recycled paper to make this bath tissue paper. It features strong and absorbent 3-ply paper. Whitened without chemicals containing Chlorine Bleach, Dyes, and Fragrances. Gentle enough on sensitive skin. Recycled toilet paper is a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional toilet paper.
What is recycling good for?
Recycling is very important. Here is the benefits of recycling.
1 Resource protection and conservation
Recycling waste can reuse renewable resources and reduce the demand for natural resources. For example, recycling paper can save wood resources; Recycling metals can reduce the mining of ores; Recycling plastics can reduce the consumption of fossil fuels such as oil. Recycling can also reduce production costs such as energy and water, and improve resource utilization efficiency.
2 Reduce environmental pollution
Waste in landfills or incineration can produce harmful gases and pollutants such as leachate, causing pollution to soil, water sources, and the atmosphere.
By recycling waste, the usage of landfills and incineration plants can be reduced, reducing the risk of environmental pollution. Due to the relatively small energy consumption and emissions during the recycling process, it can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is beneficial for addressing climate change.
3 Economic benefits
Recycling waste can create employment opportunities and economic benefits. The recycling industry chain includes links such as recycling, processing, and remanufacturing, involving many small and medium-sized enterprises and employment opportunities. By recycling and reusing waste, production costs and raw material procurement costs can be reduced, and the competitiveness of enterprises can be improved.
4 Social responsibility
Recycling is a manifestation of social responsibility and an important measure for sustainable development. By recycling waste, the pressure on garbage disposal can be reduced and the quality of urban environment can be improved.
Effects of not recycling
Not recycling can have negative effects on the environment. Without proper recycling efforts, we run the risk of overloading our landfills with waste while simultaneously releasing pollutants into the environment that can damage natural habitats and contribute to global warming.
How to recycle?
Garbage classification is the base for recycling. By classifying garbage according to recyclable, harmful, wet waste, etc., it is convenient to carry out subsequent recycling and treatment.
Scrap recycling is one of the important links in recycling. By recycling waste household appliances, paper, plastic, metal, etc., renewable resources can be extracted and processed for reuse or other purposes.
Compost vs recycling
What's the difference between compost and recycling? Composting and recycling are both important methods for reducing waste and preserving the environment. Composting involves breaking down organic matter into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used to improve soil quality. Recycling involves reusing materials to create new products.
