WHAT IS RECYCLING?
As defined by the EPA, recycling is “the series of activities by which discarded materials are collected, sorted, processed, and converted into raw materials and used in the production of new products“.
Recycling reduces the use of virgin raw materials during the production, the energy used, air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Simply put, recycling collects used materials, which are generally considered ‘waste’ and reprocesses them. In the process, the used materials are sorted and processed to be used as ‘raw materials’ for the production of new products.
Recycling is different from reuse. When we reuse a product, we use the original product over and over; whereas recycling takes the core elements of the old product, the raw materials, and uses them to manufacture a totally new product.
THE RECYCLING PROCESS
Recycling is a three step process:
- Old products (waste) are collected, sorted, cleaned and prepared for recycling or remanufacturing into new products.
- New products are manufactured using the raw materials obtained by processing the old products.
- The process ends with the purchasing of recycled goods by consumers. The greater the demand for recycled products, the more sucessful the recycling process will be.
Recycling aluminum cans is an excellent example of how successful the process can be. Did you realize that it takes only 60 days for an aluminum can to be recycled and placed back on the supermarket shelf? Aluminum cans can be infinitely recycled and by recycling just one aluminum can, enough energy is saved to run a TV for three hours!
Recycling is not just a single event; it is an entire process that recognizes the economic value of scrap. Recycling is often illustrated with the three green arrows in a circle.
Bringing your recyclables to Roswell Recycling is the first step in this process. Together we can create a world that is healthy and alive for future generations.
Contact Roswell Recycling today to learn how we can accomplish these goals