Recycling - definition of the term, examples and legal aspects

Recycling is a concept that has made a dizzying career in the last few decades. This word has become a permanent fixture in languages around the world, and its popularity is increasing along with the development of society's knowledge of environmental protection. What is recycling and what is it about? we answer.

Recycling - the meaning of the term

In the era of the Internet and mass information campaigns on environmental protection, even the youngest know what the word recycling means . This term comes from the English language and should be understood as the reintroduction of certain materials into the cycle (use cycle). The purpose of recycling may be to obtain:

new raw material (through chemical treatment),
material (due to mechanical processing),
thermal energy (due to combustion).

Recycling is an activity aimed at recovering various secondary raw materials from waste, which can be given a new value, function and usability. This process includes, among others:

glass,
plastic and plastics,
wood, plywood,
metals (steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, etc.),
waste paper,
e-waste,
organic waste.

Concepts related to recycling are:

upcycling, i.e. processing waste in such a way as to give it a value higher than the initial value (for example: production of jewelry from non-ferrous metals),
downcycling, i.e. the processing of raw materials that become less valuable after processing (production of toilet paper from waste paper).

Waste recycling: definition in the light of Polish law

What does the law say about waste recovery? The meaning of the word recycling is specified, among others, in the Polish Act of 14 December 2012 on waste. According to this Act, recycling should be understood as:

recovery where waste is reprocessed into products, materials or substances whether for the original purpose or for other purposes.

The legislator indicates that the word recycling applies to both organic and inorganic materials. This concept cannot be equated with the waste disposal process or connected with the issue of energy recovery or fuel acquisition. Organic recycling, on the other hand, means aerobic or anaerobic treatment of waste, which takes place under controlled conditions, with the participation of microorganisms or gases (e.g. metal). Detailed information on waste recycling can also be found in the Act of 13 June 2013 on the management of packaging and packaging waste.

What are the stages of recycling?

Recycling is a multi-stage process that begins as soon as the waste is thrown into the containers. Recycling plants, specializing in the processing of glass, plastic, metal, etc., deal with the processing of raw materials. When we segregate waste correctly, companies can process it efficiently and quickly. The recycling steps can be summarized as follows:

selection and treatment of waste,
fragmentation of the raw material into smaller particles,
reprocessing and shaping of the material.

Of course, the number of processing phases and methods of operation depend to a large extent on the specificity of the raw material. Some waste, such as paper or cardboard, requires the use of water, while plastics require plasticizers, hardeners or solvents. Steel and non-ferrous metals are also subjected to additional thermal treatment and refining.

Recycling examples

You don't have to look far for examples of recycling in everyday life! Many of the products we reach for on a daily basis come from recycling. These are among others:

foil and cardboard packaging,
disposable dishes and cutlery,
scrapbooks,
aluminum cans,
Building Materials,
toilet paper,
glass bottles,
toys,
fiberglass,
jar lids,
furniture etc.

Recycled items also include: clothing and upholstery fabrics, footwear, and even regenerated industrial packaging or steel wires. Granules are made from used tires, which are used for the production of seals and construction of substrates in recreational areas or playgrounds. Processed steel and non-ferrous metals are used as installation, construction and packaging materials - they are also a highly valued charge in steelworks, where the demand for natural ores is constantly growing.

What is the value of recycling? Is it worth reprocessing raw materials?

The Earth's resources of non-renewable resources are still shrinking. Excess waste makes the planet an uninhabitable place. Currently, recycling is one of the most effective forms of protecting the natural environment against pollution and depletion of resources. This is a future-proof action thanks to which:

we reduce the demand for new raw materials,
we limit the amount of garbage and toxic substances that penetrate into the soil, water and air,
we use less land on our planet to create landfills,
we save the energy needed to produce new items.

So is it worth recycling? Definitely yes! This is one of the best ways to save natural resources. Thanks to recycling, we also reduce the energy consumption needed for their extraction, transport and processing.