| Throughout history, people have been recycling | | | | What Are The Recyclable Materials |
| waste materials in some way or another. The | | | | For recycling to really work, households must be |
| main reason that recycled materials were used, | | | | made aware of what is a recyclable. Many people |
| rather than new was that second hand material | | | | are still throwing materials that could be recycled |
| was cheaper to use. Today, we have other | | | | into their regular rubbish bins. Some of the |
| reasons for recycling our waste materials, such as | | | | materials that can be used for recycling are: |
| preserving our planet, reducing waste materials | | | | - Asbestos, |
| being buried in the earth in landfill sites, and saving | | | | - Batteries, |
| money by using second hand materials, rather | | | | - Building Materials, |
| than producing new materials. | | | | - Cars, |
| The first real recycling started out in pre-industrial | | | | - Clothing, and material, |
| times when scraps from precious metals were | | | | - Compost matter, |
| recycled, and melted down for further use. | | | | - Computers, |
| Around this time, Britain was also recycling ash, | | | | - Electrical equipment, |
| and dust as the base materials used for brick | | | | - Furniture, |
| making. In 1921, Britain also began a waste paper | | | | - Glass, |
| association, which was created to encourage the | | | | - Metals, |
| recycling of used paper. Another example of early | | | | - Mobile phones, |
| recycling was that during the world wars when | | | | - Paint, and oils, |
| the governments encouraged citizens to recycle | | | | - Paper, |
| by donating their metals, and conserving fiber to | | | | - Plastic, |
| do their part for the wartime effort. | | | | - Printer cartridges, |
| Recycling And its Benefits | | | | - Wood |
| Recycling has two main benefits, which are | | | | Criticism Of Recycling |
| reduction of both energy, and virgin materials | | | | Recycling is a great thing, and has a positive |
| needing to be collected, as well as reducing the | | | | impact on our long-term economy, living |
| amount of waste that is disposed of in landfills. | | | | standards, and health of the planet we live in, |
| Recycling also reduces the negative impact that | | | | although there are some factors surrounding |
| waste has on the environment, and reduces the | | | | recycling that are not ideal. All recycling uses |
| space needed to keep refuse sites functioning, it | | | | energy of some type whether it is fuel for |
| is estimated that in the UK, by the year 2010, | | | | transportation of the materials, or the processing |
| almost all of the landfill sites will be full. | | | | that takes place to reuse the materials. |
| By recycling, we are not only helping our planet, | | | | Additionally, many recycling plants use large |
| we are decreasing the money spent on raw | | | | amounts of water while preparing, or cleaning the |
| materials, and their production. Currently, the UK is | | | | materials they will reuse. |
| recycling around 17% of their waste, which is a | | | | The only way to really benefit from recycling, and |
| small amount considering that some neighboring | | | | reducing the waste that is being produced is to |
| countries are recycling up to half of their waste, | | | | use fewer materials where possible, and reuse |
| that would ordinarily end up in a landfill site. | | | | materials in their current form. |