The 4 Main Steps of Recycling

Recycling is a very vital part of keeping our world clean. The average person in our current society throws away around 7 pounds of waste on a daily basis. A lot of the trash that we throw away can be reduced, reused, recycled, or composted. Since there are so many materials that are taken to the landfill instead of used in new ways, there is a major increase in the amount of waste in these landfills that is harming our environment. There are numerous steps in the recycling process, but there are simpler ways to narrow down the process.

 

 

Here are the 4 major steps of recycling.

 

 

  1. Collection

 

Depending on your city or your area, there are numerous ways to collect materials. Some cities collect the recyclables through bins on the side of your road. There are also recycling drop off centers throughout cities that can be looked up on any city website. The most common way to collect recyclables in most suburban areas is through bins for each home that are collected by a truck once a week. This is the first major step in any form of recycling.

 

 

  1. Processing

 

After collecting recyclables, these materials are sorted through and sent to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to be cleaned, sorted once more, and processed into raw materials that can be turned into new materials to be reused. There can be multiple or very few facilities like this in your area, so it is important to see if there is one nearby so your materials can be properly recycled. This second step is vital in any recycling process.

 

 

  1. Manufacturing

 

Once processing is completed, the raw materials that these recyclables are turned into are then set off to manufacturing facilities to be turned into new items that we all can use. Some of these items are aluminium cans, carpeting, cardboard of any kind, books, paper towels, steel, motor oil, and so much more. Some materials can also be used in the creation of asphalt and concrete. This is the very, very important step for the recycling process for it to even be considered recycling.

 

 

  1. Buy Recycled Items

 

The final, and probably most crucial, part of recycling is for us consumers to go back into stores and buy products that have been created from recycled materials. Without going through with buying products made of these materials, you are not fully contributing to the recycling process and decreasing the amount of pollution in our world. Another great way to contribute, if you cannot find products that say they are made from recycled materials, is to buy products that are much easier to recycle than other products. This helps immensely with the recycling process.

 

 

With these four basic steps, it is easier to see why recycling is so important as well as interesting. The understanding of recycling helps the process and helps increase the amount of recycled materials, thus helping our planet.

 

 

 

Contact MainStreet Fibers for all of your recycling needs

 

If ever in need of help with recycling, contact this company for all of your San Bernardino recycling needs.