Earth is our happy place as it has allowed us to access everything, we need to live life with satisfaction. Don’t you think, being humans, we owe a lot more in return? We need to utilise and reduce as much as possible. It also comprises making the best use of the materials we depend on. Reducing, reusing, and recycling are the steps to make sure we give back to the planet, what we have been taking for centuries. With time, new ways to preserve and payback to the environment may arise. Before we can adapt them, it is necessary to perform reuse and recycle effectively.
The terms reuse and recycle are the two most crucial steps to initiate. However, they are often put into use interchangeably. It makes it necessary to have a clear picture of them, and that is what this blog will focus on!
Reuse and recycle meaning
The terms speak about themselves! Reuse refers to them using an object again, for instance, converting an old curtain into a tablecloth. On the other hand, recycling refers to changing the material to its original form. Let’s say, recycling plastic bottles or newspapers into insulation materials.
Purpose
For reusing, the purpose is to put the item into use after it has fulfilled its initial purpose so that no item is unwanted. The aim of recycling is to convert the product to lead to the production of other products.
Process
When recycling any used product, it does not need to change from its original form. However, in the case of recycling, it needs to be changed to a comparatively new object that can have different uses.
Eco-friendly
The intent behind both processes is to reduce the environmental impact of the products. However, in the process of recycling, there is a slight possibility of creating harmful components. The process of reuse can be called an eco-friendly technique.
Energy use
Another parameter to differentiate between the processes is the energy use involved. Reusing a product does not need or consume energy. However, recycling a product can require energy that has no fixed measure. It can entirely depend upon the degree of recycling the product.
Condition of material
Another factor for marking the bottom line is the condition of the material. As the process of reusing is not limited to putting specific materials into use, its focus is to set the entire object into use again. However, recycling involves converting the object into its initial use first.
The bottom line
Every step of the process has a different meaning, purpose, and need. For reuse, it is to ensure that the material is not wasted and put into optimal use. However, for the process of recycling, it is to turn the object into raw materials and use them further. Where reusing is a completely environmentally friendly process, recycling might produce harmful materials as a part of the production. Also, reusing does not need energy consumption, while recycling does.