Recycling is a process that transforms waste, including materials like plastic, paper, aluminum and more, into new products.

Recycling was born years ago when people started to realize the destructive effects of the accumulation of waste. Reusing old materials is beneficial for the environment, as it reduces air and water pollution.

Globally, one of the biggest current causes of concern is climate change. Experts believe that if we can’t eliminate the factors that determine this phenomenon in the following ten years, we will reach a point of no return and our planet will slowly be permanently destroyed. Since pollution is one of the leading causes of climate change, recycling has become vital for the conservation of the Earth.

Here are a few ways of recycling to help reduce climate change:

Saves resources and energy required to produce new materials

Reduces greenhouse gases

Empties landfills

Saves water

New Type Of Plastic That Can Be Infinitely Recycled, Developed By Scientists

Plastic recycling became a widely discussed topic lately, especially since plastic can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. Sadly, 8 tonnes of plastic enters the worldțs oceans every year, which is alarming. On a more optimistic tone, a team of scientists in California designed a new type of plastic that, unlike polyester, can be reused infinitely. Standard plastic can only be recycled once, as the process makes the material lose its properties, lowering its performance and quality.

Scientists worked in the Berkeley Lab at the U.S. Department of Energy to create the new recyclable plastic, which they named poly (diketoenamine), or PDK. The material can be disassembled on a molecular level. The resulted constituent parts can be used to manufacture a whole range of other materials, like textiles and foams.

Even more, the creators of the new revolutionary plastic material are hoping to find more formulations, incorporating plant-based materials and other sources that can be infinitely recycled.