Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into reusable objects

to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of
fresh raw materials, energy usage, air pollution (from incineration) and water
pollution (from landfilling) by decreasing the need for "conventional" waste
disposal and lowering greenhouse gas emissions compared to plastic
production.[1][2] Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction
and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" waste
hierarchy.

There are some ISO standards related to recycling such as ISO 15270:2008
for plastics waste and ISO 14001:2004 for environmental management
control of recycling practice.

Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, tires,
textiles and electronics. The composting or other reuse of biodegradable
wastesuch as food or garden wasteis also considered recycling.[2]
Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection centre or picked up
from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned and reprocessed into new materials
destined for manufacturing.

In the strictest sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of

the same materialfor example, used office paper would be converted into
new office paper, or used polystyrene foam into new polystyrene. However,
this is often difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same
product from raw materials or other sources), so "recycling" of many products
or materials involves their reuse in producing different materials (for
example, paperboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the salvage of
certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic value
(such as lead from car batteries, or gold from circuit boards), or due to their
hazardous nature (e.g., removal and reuse of mercury from thermometers
and thermostats).

Benefits of Recyling
Well-run recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection,
landfilling, and incineration.

The more people recycle, the cheaper it gets.

Two years after calling recycling a $40 million drain on the city, New York City
leaders realized that a redesigned, efficient recycling system could actually
save the city $20 million and they have now signed a 20-year recycling
contract.
Recycling helps families save money, especially in communities with pay-asyou-throw programs.
Well-designed programs save money. Communities have many options
available to make their programs more cost-effective, including maximizing
their recycling rates, implementing pay-as-you-throw programs, and including
incentives in waste management contracts that encourage disposal
companies to recycle more and dispose of less.
Recycling creates 1.1 million U.S. jobs, $236 billion in gross annual sales and
$37 billion in annual payrolls.
Public sector investment in local recycling programs pays great dividends by
creating private sector jobs. For every job collecting recyclables, there are 26
jobs in processing the materials and manufacturing them into new products.
Recycling creates four jobs for every one job created in the waste
management and disposal industries.
Thousands of U.S. companies have saved millions of dollars through their
voluntary recycling programs. They wouldn't recycle if it didn't make
economic sense.
Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees.
The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light a
light bulb for four hours.
Recycling benefits the air and water by creating a net reduction in ten major
categories of air pollutants and eight major categories of water pollutants.
In the U.S., processing minerals contributes almost half of all reported toxic
emissions from industry, sending 1.5 million tons of pollution into the air and
water each year. Recycling can significantly reduce these emissions.
It is important to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Recycling helps us do that
by saving energy.
Manufacturing with recycled materials, with very few exceptions, saves
energy and water and produces less air and water pollution than
manufacturing with virgin materials.

It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from
raw materials. Making recycled steel saves 60%, recycled newspaper 40%,
recycled plastics 70%, and recycled glass 40%. These savings far outweigh
the energy created as by-products of incineration and landfilling.
In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy savings equal to the amount
of energy used in 6 million homes (over 660 trillion BTUs). In 2005, recycling
is conservatively projected to save the amount of energy used in 9 million
homes (900 trillion BTUs).
A national recycling rate of 30% reduces greenhouse gas emissions as much
as removing nearly 25 million cars from the road.
Recycling conserves natural resources, such as timber, water, and minerals.
Every bit of recycling makes a difference. For example, one year of recycling
on just one college campus, Stanford University, saved the equivalent of
33,913 trees and the need for 636 tons of iron ore, coal, and limestone.
Recycled paper supplies more than 37% of the raw materials used to make
new paper products in the U.S. Without recycling, this material would come
from trees. Every ton of newsprint or mixed paper recycled is the equivalent
of 12 trees. Every ton of office paper recycled is the equivalent of 24 trees.
When one ton of steel is recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of
coal and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved.
Brutal wars over natural resources, including timber and minerals, have killed
or displaced more than 20 million people and are raising at least $12 billion a
year for rebels, warlords, and repressive governments. Recycling eases the
demand for the resources.
Mining is the world's most deadly occupation. On average, 40 mine workers
are killed on the job each day, and many more are injured. Recycling reduces
the need for mining.
Tree farms and reclaimed mines are not ecologically equivalent to natural
forests and ecosystems.
Recycling prevents habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, and soil erosion
associated with logging and mining.