Introduction
Recycling is a complicated issue. Recycling operations in general may be categorized as open-loop or closed-loop operations. Closed-loop recycling, which can be called up-cycling, means recycling a commodity back to its original state of packaging. The waste or by-product of one of the processes, or the product itself, is used in the closed-loop recycling method to produce another product of the same kind or category.
For example, recycling an aluminum beverage can be an example of closed-loop recycling to produce another aluminum product, maybe even another beverage can. Open-loop recycling, also known as down-cycling, means that a component can be recycled into certain forms of goods that use requirements of lower quality materials. For example, when plastic bottles are
recycled, they can not necessarily be transformed back into containers due to a degradation in the consistency of the material, such as how it looks and feels. More...