Recycling
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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
