What is recycling?
Recycling is the process of reprocessing used materials into new products instead of throwing them away. It is part of the 3R concept: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Materials that can be recycled include paper, plastic, glass and metal, and separating these from other rubbish is the first step towards recycling.
Key idea
3R — reduce what we use, reuse items, and recycle waste materials into new products.
Recycling practices
In Malaysia, recycling bins are colour-coded to make sorting waste easier:
| Blue | Paper |
| Brown | Glass |
| Orange | Plastic, aluminium and others |
Newspaper, plastic bottles, aluminium cans and glass bottles can be collected, cleaned and sent to a recycling centre. The materials are then reprocessed at factories into new goods that can be used again.
Benefits of recycling
Recycling reduces the waste sent to landfills and saves natural resources and energy. Recycling paper saves trees, while recycling aluminium cans saves energy and raw materials. Recycling also reduces pollution and extends the life of landfills that are filling up.
As students, we can help by sorting waste at home and school and by encouraging others to do the same.
Remember
Reduce means using fewer resources; Reuse means using an item again, such as refilling a bottle.