The Importance of Recycling

I’m sure you all know how important recycling is. Recycling is when you take old things and turn them into new things. It sounds like magic. But it’s actually very scientific. Do you know how it all works?

The first thing you have to do is collect items that can be recycled. Only certain materials can be recycled. These include things made out of paper, metal, cardboard, glass and plastic. Can you think of everyday items made out of these materials? Soda cans are a good example. They are made out of metal. Magazines and newspapers are made out of paper. Cereal boxes are made of cardboard. Some bottles of juice are made out of glass. Bags and yogurt containers are made out of plastic. There are many things that can be recycled. These things are usually stamped with the recycling loop. It has 3 arrows that go in a triangular circle. This shows that the cycle continues. Items are thrown away but continue their lives as something else.

Let’s get back to the process of recycling. Once you put all your items in a recycling bin, a truck comes to pick them up. Everything goes to a recycling plant. There, the materials get separated. They go into different piles. There are special machines that crush each pile. The materials get squashed into cubes. They are really heavy. You would need a forklift to carry them. Companies buy these cubes and turn them into new products.

Now let’s take a closer look at how old paper is transformed. First the paper is torn into tiny pieces. Then water with chemicals in it is poured over them. The fibres start to stick together. In time, a brand new roll of paper is created! If there were things written or printed on the original paper, they disappear.

Recycling keeps our planet healthy. It reduces waste. It also saves energy. You can also recycle at home. You can save all the cans and aluminium containers and sell them to a local recycling centre – yes, cans for cash. Use glass jars as containers for the kitchen or the office; you can paint bottles and use other materials to decorate them. Use empty water bottles as flower pots - just cut off the bottoms. There are many amazing craft projects you can do with recycled material. You can do your part to save the planet. So just remember the golden rule: always recycle your products!