As a very basic definition, recycling involves using existing things to create new products! Some materials that are commonly recycled are glass, plastic, aluminum, paper, and cardboard. Think of items such as cans, bottles, paper, and cardboard boxes. People leave their recyclable items in a bin in their neighborhood, or bring them to a drop-off center. The items are taken to a processing facility, where they are sorted, cleaned and prepared to be sold and reused.

Recycling is important because it saves natural resources used to create products, and keeps the environment cleaner. For instance, oil is used to create plastic, and wood from trees is used to manufacture paper. Some natural resources are limited (such as oil and gas) or take a very long time to replace (such as trees), and over-consuming them is harmful. Collecting oil and gas contaminates air and water, disrupts wildlife habitats, and contributes to climate change. Contamination may lead to serious health problems in people and animals. Remember, trees produce oxygen and absorb greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. They block out excessive sunlight, helping keep temperatures in the forest lower. They also host a range of animals: birds, insects, monkeys, sloths and more! Cutting down too many trees worsens air quality and leaves animals without homes.

If all used garbage is simply thrown away, it contaminates the environment. There are approximately 150 million metric tons of plastic circulating around the oceans. Fish, turtles, and other marine animals get sick or injured when they eat the plastic or become trapped.

Recycling can help us combat these terrible happenings, by reducing the amount of resources we have to collect, as we’re reusing what was already available! Recycling aluminum saves about 94% of energy compared to producing the metal from ore. Some companies have creatively used recycling to produce fun, trendy items: backpacks, swimsuits, shoes, and more from used plastic. In a way, it’s almost like magic.