Recycling is the third step to take when deciding what to do with an item that no longer has initial use. After reducing and reusing, recycling is the option that takes the item out of your home and into a factory.
Certain items are ideal for recycling because they can be made into new products that are of the same (or very similar) quality. Other materials have little benefit when it comes to recycling because the quality of the ‘new’ material will be so poor that it won’t be useful for many things.
Paper is one of the materials that are beneficial to recycle. When paper is broken down and recycled into new paper products, it is of the same quality. It may not always be made into the same quality material, such as recycled content toilet paper or paper towels, but it does have the ability to be converted back into usable paper.
Glass and metal can also be made into new products of equal (or higher) quality than the original product. It’s hard to know the portion of recycled glass or metal in the things you buy because, unlike plastic and paper, manufacturers currently don’t advertise the level of recycled content in glass or metal packaging. However, these two materials are the second easiest to recycle, as well as being the strongest materials that can be recycled.
Plastic, on the other hand, is one of the materials that cannot be converted into a new product of equal quality. Instead, it’s turned into a lower-quality product, like fake wood, which isn’t technically recycled. When an item loses its quality and cannot be converted back to what it originally was, it is considered a downcycle instead.
That is why, despite being able to recycle plastic, it is more beneficial for the planet to avoid it whenever possible. Recycling is better than just throwing it away. So if you end up with any plastic, metal, glass, or paper for which it has no reusable purpose, recycling is a viable option.
The less packaging and products that end up in landfills, the better. Remember that recycling is the third most important of the three R’s and therefore should be the third option you consider. Support the recycling business by purchasing items made with post-consumer recycled content. This will keep the process running full circle, benefiting both you and the environment.