Waste Management

Recycling

 

People need to make less rubbish and to find more sustainable ways of disposing it. Recycling reduces the need for landfill sites and by recycling we do not use as many natural resources. Recycling is when something is melted down or turned into another product such as recycling newspaper to make cardboard.

Recycling metals

 

The cans we use for drinks, canned vegetables and pet food can be recycled as they are made from steel, tin or aluminium. The cans are collected by local councils and then squashed into tight cubes that are sent to different factories where they are melted down and made into new metal products.

Recycling paper and cardboard

 

About 70 percent of all paper in Australia is recycled. The best paper for recycling does not have much ink on it, for example white paper. This paper can be recycled into writing paper.

Newspapers and magazines are covered in lots of ink. This paper is collected and pulped by mixing the paper with water and other chemicals at a paper mill. This type of paper is usually made into cardboard and then made into something like cereal boxes.

Recycling glass

 

Glass bottles can be recycled up to 30 times if they are collected and cleaned. The glass is taken to a glass factory where it is broken up (this broken up glass is called cullet). Cleaning machines and magnets remove any bits of metal and plastic. The cullet is then melted down and used to make new bottles.

Recycling plastic

 

Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose so it is important to try to recycle it. Plastic bottles being recycled are sorted into different types of plastic. The bottles are squashed and sent to a plastics factory. The plastic is then washed and chopped into tiny flakes. These tiny flakes are dried and melted and cut into small pellets. These pellets are used to make new items