Recycling has been around for centuries. The first Earth Day in 1970 brought it into the public eye as an important issue. In the late 1980s, when landfill space began to diminish, interest in recycling soared and it grew into a very viable waste management method.

Most communities are now recycling at least some of their trash. The most common items recycled are paper, metal, glass and plastic. While not all communities recycle all of these items due to markets, most offer some form of recycling for some of the items.

Recycling consists of three parts - collecting the materials, reprocessing or remaking the materials and selling the remade materials. The collection process is what most people understand because that is what they do. They separate materials and put them out to the curb or take them to a recycling collection site. From there the materials go on to a plant or facility that will reprocess them.

After the materials are reprocessed into the same or different items, they must be sold to make a profit. If a company makes products no one wants or will buy, they go out of business. Many people for years considered recycled materials inferior, so it wasn't easy to sell them. Many companies didn't take a chance. Today people actually look for recycled products making recycling go the full cycle.

Many materials are made back into the same items. Aluminum cans are melted down and turned back into aluminum cans. Glass bottles usually become glass bottles. Newsprint becomes more newsprint. However, paper can only be recycled about 15 times before the fibers break down and won't stick together.

Some materials can become the same or a different item. A steel car body can become a new car or it can become a steel bridge. Plastic soda bottles can become new bottles or hard plastic toys, carpeting or even clothing like a T-shirt. In addition to the most commonly recycled items, some communities recycle motor oil, anti-freeze, scrap metal (big refrigerators and washers), tires, all kinds of paper, magazines, several forms of plastics and other items.

Composting is another form of recycling. It is taking the organic materials in the waste stream (usually about 18-20%) and turning it into mulch or fertilizer. Some communities have a compost facility that uses wind rows and machines to turn the rows over every few days. Some communities just separate their leaves and grass clippings and use them in a variety of ways. Some keep trees and brush separate as well.

Recycling is an excellent way to reduce the amount of trash going into your landfill and make good use of our natural resources.

Source: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality