verb / noun
recycle
ree-SIGH-kul/ˌriːˈsaɪkl/
Recovering or processing used things so they can be used again.
Our town recycles glass bottles to make new glass products.
Etymology
A cycle is a returning round, so recycling puts material through a round of use again. Originally applied to industrial processes, the word came to mean reclaiming waste and converting it into usable material.
In context
once it is cured, it cannot be melted down and recast like an ordinary bottle. The very cross-linked network [music] that gives it strength also makes it very hard to recycle the old way.
More examples
- We recycle newspapers instead of throwing them in the trash.
- This store collects old batteries so they can be recycled.
- Recycling aluminum cans saves raw materials.
Forms
recycle · recycles · recycled · recycling
recyclable adjective — Able to be processed for reuse.
Similar words
- reuse
- Means using something again, without necessarily processing it first.
- reclaim
- Emphasizes recovering useful materials from waste or discarded products.
- repurpose
- Means adapting something for a different use, not necessarily reprocessing.