Recycling

How it is used

Used for the activity and the system: recycling rate, recycling bin, recycling facility, recycling target. The verb is recycle and the result is recycled material or recycled content. In the waste hierarchy, recycling comes after reducing and reusing.

Example sentences

1. The municipality wants to raise the recycling rate for packaging to 60% within five years.

2. Recycling one tonne of aluminum uses far less energy than producing it from ore.

Common collocations

• recycling rate
• recycling facility
• recycled content
• recycling bin
• separate collection

Related terms

• wasteMaterials and objects that people, homes, businesses or factories throw away because they no longer need them or can no longer use them.
• waste hierarchyAn order of priority for dealing with waste: first prevent it, then reuse, recycle and recover energy, and only as a last option dispose of it.
• circular economyAn economic model that keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible through reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling, instead of making, using and throwing away.
• waste managementThe collection, transport, sorting, treatment, recycling and disposal of waste, together with the planning and monitoring of these activities.
• e-wasteDiscarded electrical and electronic equipment, such as phones, computers, TVs, fridges and cables, which contains valuable metals as well as hazardous materials.

More terms: Waste and Recycling

• landfill
• hazardous waste
• dispose of
• biodegradable
• single-use plastic
• composting