Today, we find signs and recycling slogans that emphasize the importance of recycling all around us. While this idea may be inspiring to some, it is often the case that most people do not understand the recycling process and so are unwilling to participate in it.

Understanding the recycling process for different materials is very important to ensure that we are recycling in a manner that produces the best results. Here is a look at the recycling process for some of the most common recyclable materials.

Aluminium is probably the most common material that is recycled. The recycling process for aluminium begins with you collecting used cans and either giving them to the local recycling center for cash, or throwing them in the appropriate recycle bin. These cans are then transported to a factory where they are melted, rolled out into sheets and re-cut to form new aluminium cans. This process takes around 90 days.

The recycling process for glass is slightly different. The bottles and other glass items are transported to a processing facility where they are sorted by colour and then crushed to form what is called “cullet”. This cullet is taken to a factory where it is mixed with soda ash, limestone and sand and then melted. This molten mixture is poured into moulds to form new glass containers.

The third most commonly recycled material is plastic. The recycling process for plastics starts with sorting them into various types, and possibly colours. These containers are then crushed together to form a huge block which is taken to a processing plant where the blocks are shredded. The shredded plastic is then taken to a manufacturer who will melt them down to produce a number of different items like backpacks, rulers, T-shirts and bins.