Meaning & use
recycle
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To treat used things so the material can be used again to make new products.
Grammar: Takes an object: recycle paper, glass, or plastic.
Patterns
- recycle something
- recycle paper/glass/plastic
- recycle something into something
Our town recycles glass, paper, and metal every week.
You can recycle old newspapers into new cardboard boxes.
The school asks students to recycle their drink cans.
verbtransitivefigurative
To use something again, often in a slightly different way, instead of getting something new.
Grammar: Takes an object; often used about ideas, jokes, or designs rather than physical materials.
Patterns
- recycle an idea
- recycle a joke
- recycle old material
The comedian recycled an old joke and the audience still laughed.
The designer recycled ideas from the 1970s for the new collection.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To put used items into a special container or system so they can be treated and used again.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (recycle bottles) or without one (we recycle every day).
Patterns
- recycle something
- recycle at home
- recycle regularly
Please recycle your bottles in the blue bin.
We recycle at home and at work.
If you don't recycle, these items end up in a landfill.
Word forms
| third person singular | recycles |
|---|---|
| past tense | recycled |
| past participle | recycled |
| -ing form | recycling |
Common combinations
- recycle paper
- The office recycles paper to reduce waste.
- recycle plastic bottles
- Many countries now recycle plastic bottles.
- recycle waste
- The factory recycles waste from its production line.
- recycle into
- Old tires can be recycled into playground surfaces.
- recycle bin
- Throw your empty cans in the recycle bin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reuse
- Use reuse when you simply use something again, often for the same purpose, without changing its material.
- reprocess
- Reprocess is more technical and means treating a material through an industrial process, often not for everyday household items.
Opposites
Word family
- recycling noun
- The activity or process of treating used materials so they can be used again.
- recyclable adjective
- Describing something that can be recycled.
- recycled adjective
- Made from materials that have already been used and treated.
Commonly confused: recycle or upcycle?
recycle vs upcycle
Upcycle means turning old items into something of higher value or better quality, while recycle usually means breaking materials down to make new products.
Practice
Which sentence uses recycle correctly?
Choose one answer.
Recycle means treating used materials to make new products, so 'recycle glass bottles into new jars' fits. 'Recycle our old clothes to a charity shop' describes donating, not processing materials, and the other options use patterns that do not fit the verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “recycle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.