Recycling involves processing
used materials into new products in order to prevent the
waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the
consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce
energy usage, reduce
air (from
incineration) and water
(from
landfilling) pollution
by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal,
and lower
greenhouse gas
emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is
a key component of modern
waste management and is
the third component of the "Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle"
waste hierarchy.
Recyclable materials include glass, paper, metal, textiles, electronics (cell phones, computers) and plastics. Though similar, the composting of biodegradable waste – such as food or garden waste – is not typically considered recycling. These materials are either brought to a collection centre or picked-up from the curbside; and sorted, cleaned and reprocessed into new products bound for manufacturing.
