Top 10 Most Recycled Materials

There are very few consumer products that cannot be recycled, but some are easier and more economical to do than others. And some are more critically important to recycle. This list of the most recycled materials, and examples of how and what they are recycled for, will help you understand why they are so important to both our environment and our wallet.

1. Newspapers and Magazines	6. Aluminum/Steel Cans
2. Printing Paper	7. Foam Waste
3. Cardboard and Paperboard	8. Plastic Bottles
4. Waste Fabrics	9. Glass Bottles
5. Electronic Waste	10. Ink Cartridge

1. Newspapers and Magazines

Newspapers are one of the easiest materials to recycle. Doing so can help to save up to 60 percent of the energy required to make brand new newsprint. When you finished reading the newspaper, either leave it for someone else to read or put it in the recycle boxes. Magazines can also be recycled, even the full color highly glossy variety. This applies to mailed coupon flyers and advertisements as well.

2. Cardboard and Paperboard

Waste Management says that recycling one ton of cardboard will save about 9 cubic yards of landfill space and recycled cardboard saves 24 percent of the total energy needed for virgin cardboard. When recycling your cardboard or paperboard, make sure you flatten it to save storage space.

3. Printing Paper

When using paper in the office, you can choose regenerate paper, print it on both sides of the sheet and recycle when you are finished.

4. Waste Fabrics

Waste fabrics, including used clothes, towels, tablecloths, curtains, canvas bag. All of them can be recycle, just need to put them into the clothing recycling bin.

5. Electronic Waste

Electronic waste, such as waste computer, hard drives, mobile phones and old household appliances. Electrical appliances are made up of a broad range of materials like toxic heavy metals, metal circuitry, mixed plastics, fire retardants and glass. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic can cause environmental contamination through leaching from e-waste in landfill into water systems. By recycling, this contamination can be avoided and useful resources can be conserved, as up to 95% of materials can be recovered for reuse.

6. Aluminum/Steel Cans

As we known, aluminum is 100 percent recyclable and retains its properties indefinitely. Also, recycling aluminum cans takes 95 percent less energy than creating new ones. Steel scrap comes from cars, appliances, torn-down buildings, and household items like cans. It is easy to separate from the rest of the solid waste stream for recyclers because it is attracted to magnets.

7. Foam Recycling EPS/XPS/PSP

Foam (primarily EPS, expanded polystyrene) has become an important source of waste for many manufacturers and distributors, but fortunately, the material is recyclable. Usually, foam will be crushed and compress into dense blocks by EPS compactor, then the foam blocks can be sold to foam products manufacturers for a new foam product.

8. Plastic Bottles

Most of plastic bottle can be recycled, such as PET drink bottle, shampoo, detergent and other similar bottle. Plastics can take up to hundreds of years to decompose in a landfill, these facts show how much importance we do recycling. Make sure to remove plastic tops from the plastic containers being recycled and rinse containers with water if needed.

9. Glass Container

Glass containers used in food and beverage packaging are 100 percent recyclable. They can be substituted for up to 95 percent of raw materials when new glass products are being made, making glass recycling highly friendly to the environment.

10. Ink Cartridge

Buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges. Each remanufactured cartridge keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills and saves about a half gallon of oil.

Look for the recycled option in all the products you buy, you will find more that can be recycle.