To recycle is to collect a used material and process it into raw material for new products, instead of throwing it away. It is the third of the three Rs, after reduce and reuse.
Recycling plastic involves collection, sortation, washing, melting and forming into recycled granules, which manufacturers then turn into new packaging and parts. It saves fossil raw materials and energy, cuts greenhouse gas emissions and keeps waste out of landfills and the environment. Recycling only works when every link holds: people separate their waste, a system collects it, a recycler processes it and a buyer uses the recycled material. The chasing-arrows symbol on a pack shows the polymer type, not a guarantee that the item will be recycled.
