Do you take out the trash in the morning? Do you throw away scrap material into the bin? Well recycling normally involves converting waste materials into new materials and products. Recycling is an essential practice that everyone must learn to do and take note of.
Recycling is part of the three “R’s” where the other two R’s are reducing and reusing. Reducing is the concept of reducing the waste we produce; reusing is learning to reuse items or repurpose them for a different use from what they are intended for. Recycling refers to when we use used materials to produce a product and reuse them to make another. This is a knowledge that we must pass on to the future generations to promote sustainable development.
With that in mind, we will now go into more details of the process of recycling. The different types of materials that we recycle must go through a process that refines and purifies them. In accordance with this, different materials will also go through a different recycling process.
Paper
Paper is currently the most used material on earth. Paper is created with two materials: water and wood. To recycle paper, we need to break it down into small pieces and dissolve it into water. After this, they add chemicals to “erase” the ink and dirt on the paper.
Metals
Second, Metals. To recycle metals, we need to shred them into small pieces and then melt them and take that substance to mold them into new shapes.
Glass
To recycle glass, like metals, we need to break it into pieces and melt them to recast them.
Plastic
Recycling plastic is slightly more complicated as compared to the other three common materials because plastics come in different types of plastics. But the basic process is to melt it and recreate another item made of plastic.
To add on, all public spaces and buildings such as shopping malls, schools, offices, etc. all have recyclable dustbins, which consist of three main types: general waste, plastic, and paper. This is to efficiently collect trash that can be recycled the way they should be.
All in all, almost everything that we use can be recycled whether it is materials like paper, plastic, metals, glass, wood etc. Additionally, sorting your waste and throwing them into the recycling bin so that the government can recycle them. Recycling is a small step by humans to try and save the dying environment and this small step done by everyone is a huge step in the long run.
References
The Three R's: "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". (2020, June 19). Retrieved from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/reduce-reuse-recycle.php
Prasanna. (2020, June 12). Recycling Essay. Retrieved fromhttps://www.aplustopper.com/recycling-essay/