Which household waste has an excellent recycling potential?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC GD Previous Paper 10 (Held On: 14 Feb 2019 Shift 2)

Answer 1

The correct answer is 'Metal'

Key Points

Metal:
- Metals such as aluminum, steel, and iron have one of the highest recycling potentials among household waste materials.
- The recycling process for metals involves melting down the metal objects and reforming them into new products.
- This process can be repeated numerous times without degrading the quality of the metal, making it a highly sustainable option.
- Recycling metals saves significant amounts of energy and reduces the need for mining new raw materials.

Additional Information

Vegetable scraps:
- Vegetable scraps are excellent for composting but not suitable for traditional recycling processes.
- Composting involves biological decomposition which turns vegetable waste into nutrient-rich soil, benefiting gardening and farming.
- While beneficial, this does not fall into the same category as recycling materials like metals, which can be used repeatedly in manufacturing new products.
Plastic:
- Plastics have diverse recycling potentials, but not all plastics are recyclable, and the quality often degrades after each recycling cycle.
- The recycling process for plastics can be complex and varies depending on the type of plastic.
- Issues like contamination and the presence of different polymers in plastics make recycling less efficient compared to metals.
Rubber:
- Rubber, such as used tires, can be recycled, but the process is challenging and less common than metal recycling.
- Recycled rubber is often ground into crumbs to be used in new rubber products, asphalt, or artificial turf.
- While useful, the recycling potential of rubber is limited compared to metals and is not as environmentally efficient.

Important Points

Recycling metals is crucial for reducing environmental impact and conserving energy resources
Aluminum recycling saves up to 95% of the energy required to produce aluminum from raw materials.
Steel is the most recycled material globally, significantly reducing the ecological footprint of steel production.
Consumers are encouraged to separate metal waste from other types and dispose of it in designated recycling bins.