recycleverb [ T ]
uk/ˌriːˈsaɪ.kəl/us/ˌriːˈsaɪ.kəl/B1 to sort and collect rubbish in order to treat it and produce useful materials that can be used again:
The Japanese recycle more than half their waste paper.
Shall I just throw this bottle away, or do you recycle?
to use something again for a different purpose:
Why not recycle Christmas cards as gift tags?
Students can sometimes recycle old essays to make them fit new questions.
More examples
- Metal, paper and glass can be recycled.
- Old newspapers are pulped and recycled.
- As a nation we recycle a mere 20 percent of our waste.
- Can you recycle cardboard?
- She recycles as much as she can.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Environmental issues
- air pollution
- biodegrade
- biotic index
- carbon capture
- carbon credits
- carbon-neutral
- defoliant
- dumping ground
- eco-footprint
- ecology
- emission
- environmentally friendly
- exhaustible
- natural resources
- particulate
- photochemical smog
- preservation
- preservationist
- recycled
- reduce, reuse, recycle idiom
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Preserving and saving
Rubbish and waste
Using and misusing