Recycling is defined as reprocessing of materials to render them useful by creating new products. Recycling is one of the key components of waste management that helps in preventing wastage of useful materials, saves energy, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. It is an effort that maximizes value of the new products and reduces environmental disturbances.

Various materials that can be recycled are called recyclable materials like paper, glass, aluminium, biodegradable waste like food etc. Recyclable materials are sorted and segregated into their specific material types in order to facilitate easy reprocessing. It is important to highlight that recycling does not mean reuse where the materials do not go any change, but it includes re-giving where the ownership of the items passes to others when they are gifted or donated.

Recycling can be of 2 types:

i) Internal Recycling means to use the waste product of a manufacturing process again in the same process. For example, in metal industry the scrap metal is used again in the manufacturing process.

ii) External Recycling means to retrieve materials from a product that has worn out or is no longer in use. For example, old newspapers and magazines are used to manufacture other paper products.

Recycling has been in practice since long. There have been instances where, the precious metals were melted to reuse; dust from coal and ash coal fires was used in brick making. Most of the times recycling was motivated by economic advantages. Resource shortage during wars promoted resource conservation and recycling of metals and fibers. With passage of time, people realized that many products used less energy as compared to their virgin production. For example, aluminium, glass, paper and other metals etc. A significant event in 1989 boosted the recycling industry tremendously. It was when use of polystyrene packaging was banned and that’s when efforts were made to recycle plastics and soon it led to a rise in number of companies that were involved in plastic recycling business.

Recycling reduces the overall environment, social and economic cost of production in the following ways:

i) Recycling reduces usage of energy, raw materials and the amount of waste generated
ii) Recycling reduces air as well as water pollutants considerably as compared to virgin production
iii) Each tonne of recycled paper saves at least 17 trees
iv) Energy that can be saved in recycling a glass bottle can be used for lighting for 4 hours
v) Recycling helps in conserving natural resources like trees, water and other minerals and also reduces their demand
vi) Recycling helps in keeping the biodiversity intact and avoids habitat destruction and other problems associated with it
vii) Recycling aluminium can save at least 90% of energy cost
viii) Recycling helps in reducing other harmful practices like landfill and incineration. Thus, utilizing the waste in a much more beneficial way

There is considerable criticism that recycling receives. It is true that recycling also requires considerable energy for processing and some require water. However, very rarely does the resource consumption is of the level associated with virgin production. The increase of vehicular movement for collection of segregated waste leads to production of carbon dioxide which however, can be dealt with by using centralized facilities and better systems. It has also been noted that recycling can turn out to be costlier than landfill disposals. Some skeptics argue that the environmental benefits do not compensate the financial costs of recycling.

Government needs to make initiatives and provide subsidies and extra benefits to organizations into recycling to promote and create the interest in people. Also, the few doubts associated with recycling need to be dispelled by better process management. As and when recycling would become popular, financial costs would come down too.