March 18th is Global Recycling Day, an international initiative to increase awareness of recycling and educate on how to incorporate it into our everyday lives.
Recycling is the process of converting items that would normally be thrown away as trash (whether during or after the original manufacturing process) into new materials and objects. Recyclables are collected in a variety of methods, such as curb-side pickup or deposit/refund programs. After being collected, these items are sent to a recovery facility where they are sorted, cleaned, and processed into materials to be used in manufacturing. These materials can be bought and sold, just like raw materials. The recycling process is important for sustainability and waste reduction.
Benefits include…
- Reduced waste
- Conservation of natural resources
- Prevention of pollution
- Reduced need for new raw materials
- Energy savings
Products containing recycled content are manufactured from pre-consumer materials, post-consumer materials, or a combination of the two. Pre-consumer materials are waste that never reaches a consumer for one reason or another (trimmings, scraps, rejected products). Post-consumer materials are waste that was recycled after the consumer finished using it (plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass jars). The amount of pre- and post-consumer materials used in recycled content is usually presented as a total percentage of recycled materials.
Common items containing recycled materials:
- Newspapers
- Paper towels
- Aluminum cans
- Car bumpers
- Cereal boxes
- Carpet
- Egg cartons
- Glass containers
- Motor oil
- Trash bags
NWRE, Inc. is committed to conducting our operations in a responsible manner that protects the environment and supports our environmental management system. Request a quote to find out how we can meet your recycled content production needs.