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Conventional recycling is a great way to help reduce waste. While many people view recycling as a blanket solution for the world’s environmental woes, the practical application of recycling is more complicated than it appears.
 

The more energy conserved in the recycling process, the better. Materials that do not recycle well may be better reused or upcycled into other projects for higher cost and energy benefits. Items like steel and paper are among the easiest materials to recycle, but reducing their consumption and finding new ways to reuse these materials may have a bigger environmental impact.
 

The greatest benefits recycling can offer are decreased use of natural resources, reduced waste, and conservation of energy. Understanding which materials are easiest to recycle can help boost recycling’s impact and empower consumers to make better choices about which materials they buy in the first place.

 

Steel

Steel — which is made from coal and iron ore — is one of the world’s easiest materials to recycle. It can be recycled time and time again without losing its quality. The process for recycling steel also has a lower environmental impact than the process for creating new steel from raw materials. Still, metal recycling is not generally as efficient as other types of recycling. This makes metals like steel great candidates for upcycling or reuse.
 

When steel is recycled, it is first separated from other metals. It is then shredded and melted down before being recast for future use. Recycled steel must also be purified before it can be solidified. In some cases, steel is recycled for use in construction-ready rebar.
 

Paper

On average, each American uses more than 650 pounds of paper every year. While paper is one of the easiest materials to recycle, the sheer volume of paper being discarded adds up. Plus, not all paper can be recycled. While newspapers and magazines can be recycled into new paper products, paper towels can’t. Paper also needs to be clean in order to be recycled, so paper contaminated with oil, grease, food, or other impurities can’t be recycled.
 

Clean paper is typically reduced to fibers before it is recycled and reused. Generally, paper can be recycled several times before the quality degrades. Recycling paper can reduce air and water pollution and uses fewer natural resources — such as wood pulp — than creating new paper.
 

Concrete

In the construction industry, concrete recycling is critical. This material can be reused over and over again, reducing costs and construction waste. Concrete recycling reduces landfill use, creates high-grade construction materials, and decreases transportation costs.

Concrete is one of the easiest materials to recycle because it can be crushed into small pieces and pressed to remove impurities like dirt and glass. The final product is clean concrete aggregate suitable for use in sidewalks, roads, and more. Recycled concrete is durable and lasts years.
 

Glass

Glass is another material that can be recycled infinitely, with some exceptions. Recycling one ton of glass can save 42 kilowatt-hours of energy. Recycled glass can be used to make containers, fiberglass, and even sand.
 

Like other materials, glass must be clean in order to be recycled. Additionally, it also has to be large enough to be separated according to color. Once the glass is sorted, it is broken into smaller pieces that are passed through a screen that separates them by size.

Impurities are weeded out along the way and dryers are used to burn away bacteria and glue. Glass may be broken down further based on its future purpose.

 

Aluminum cans are among the easiest materials to recycle.
 

Aluminum

Aluminum is another material that can be melted down for ongoing use. Recycling aluminum uses significantly less energy than producing new aluminum products. One ton of soda cans made with recycled aluminum saves over 21,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. In fact, 20 aluminum cans can be produced from recycled materials with the same amount of energy it takes to produce a single new aluminum can from scratch.
 

The recycling process for aluminum involves shredding the materials into small pieces after sorting. They are then melted down at high temperatures before the material is rolled into metal sheets.
 

Wood

While most people do not think about recycling wood, they often think about reusing it. Reclaimed wood is a popular design choice that can last decades. Reused wood can be upcycled into a variety of projects. Reusing and upcycling wood are both preferable options to recycling.
 

When wood is recycled, it is ground down and flattened into sheets. Wood can also be chopped up and turned into woodchips or other filler materials. Often, people do not recycle wood because local recycling companies may not pick it up. It may need to be taken to a special recycling facility.
 

Plastic

Plastics are among the most diverse recyclables and can be turned into everything from lumber to carpet. While many kinds of plastics can be recycled, there is often a limited number of uses before the quality degrades.
 

Different kinds of plastics are made from different chemicals, which can make the recycling process more complicated. The first step in the process is sorting the plastic into types. Different plastics will then undergo their own specific processes for recycling. For example, PET 1 bottles will be heated to high temperatures so they can be melted down and transformed into new bottles.

 

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

While zero-waste recycling is an admirable goal, reducing reliance on materials that are not easily recyclable is a great way to reduce waste, costs, and energy use. Finding ways to reuse materials and reduce their consumption in the first place saves energy, prevents reliance on landfills, and gives old materials new life.
 

In some industries, recycling is essential. For example, the construction industry uses many natural resources and the waste produced by large construction projects can be significant. However, many of the most common construction materials are among the easiest to recycle.

 

Miniwiz understands the value of reducing, recycling, upcycling, and reusing the most commonly consumed materials. We work with a variety of industries to transform metals, plastics, glass, and other types of waste into sustainable materials repurposed for construction, fabrics, furniture, and more.
 

If your brand is seeking innovative, turnkey solutions to greener products while maintaining a high standard of quality, contact us today.

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