At WACOSA we encourage everyone to recycle. While you probably have seen our recycling bins located across Central Minnesota, have you ever wondered what happens after you’ve dropped your plastic bottles in the bin?
1. Collection (Recycle)
Many homes and businesses have separate bins for recycled materials. Therefore, there are different methods of collection. The methods include: curbside pickup, drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and deposit/refund programs.
After the recyclables are collected, they are sent to a facility where they are sorted and prepared into profitable materials to be sold to different processing companies.
2. Processing (Reduce)
After being collected, the recycled goods are cleaned and sorted. Then they are processed to recover the raw materials. When the raw materials are retrieved, they are used to make the newly recycled products.
Before the recyclables can be made into new products, they must be broken down, melted or liquefied, and crushed or shredded.
3. Purchasing Recycled Products (Reuse)
Purchasing newly recycled products completes the recycling loop. These products are sent to stores to be purchased. The popularity of recycled products is growing immensely. More and more products are being manufactured with almost all recycled or partially recycled material. As long as we can keep it up with recycling, manufacturers will continue to produce high-quality recycled products.
Hoping to implement more recycling at your business or organization? Consider WACOSA’s recycling solutions.