Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
recycling
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
recycling bin recycling bins plastic items being sorted at a recycling center
How plastic is recycled into insulation.
scrap metal
How are old bottles recycled into new ones?
An open butter container sits on a wooden surface.
How enzymes in wax moth larvae could lead to new recycling biotechnologies
Turning cities into raw material depots for recycling
How most of a car's parts are recycled
For Students
recycling summary
Discover
Amendments 1-10 to the Constitution of the United States constitute what is known as the Bill of Rights on an American flag.
What Is the Emoluments Clause?
Germans from East and West stand on the Berlin Wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate in the November 10, 1989, photo, one day after the wall opened.
Timeline of the 1980s
Big beaver gnawing on limb at river's edge
6 Animal Species that Mate for Life
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Dancers at a Cinco de Mayo festival at the Mission District, San Francisco, California. (Photo dated 2019.) holidays
Is Cinco de Mayo Mexico's Independence Day?
Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece
Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?

recycling: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/recycling
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As reprocessing • materials salvage

Photos and Videos

recycling bin
recycling bins
plastic items being sorted at a recycling center
scrap metal
How plastic is recycled into insulation.
How are old bottles recycled into new ones?
An open butter container sits on a wooden surface.
How enzymes in wax moth larvae could lead to new recycling biotechnologies
Turning cities into raw material depots for recycling
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic