LogFAQs > #931099396

wolfy42 posted...

Why do we have recycle garbage bins then and seperate all our stuff? I mean if they are not reusing the plastic etc, it doesn't even make sense.

In talking about waste management, "recycle" and "reuse" are two separate terms, "Reuse" refers to taking the same product and using it again, whether for the same application or something new. That's generally something consumers do, rather than producers, though there are some companies that make a point of reusing stuff people bring back (some smaller soda companies offer a bottle buyback, for example). "Recycling," on the other hand, refers to breaking the product down into its raw materials and using them for something new. When you put something in the recycling bin, that's what happens to it (provided it's not contaminated in any way and your municipality has found a buyer for that particular material, otherwise it'll just get passed on to the landfill anyway), not any sort of reuse.