Abstract

Recycling is the process by which materials that are either not directly usable in their present form (eg, secondary materials or by-products) or have been separated from waste destined for disposal are remanufactured into usable or marketable materials. The amount of public attention given to recycling has increased noticeably during the last few years; however, the recycling of many industrial and household materials has been a profitable endeavor for decades. This article provides a broad overview of this politically popular issue. Specifically, the article discusses the amount of material collected and processed for recycling, the composition of this material, how collected material is handled, and the economic aspects of recycling.