R4: Recycle

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About Recycling

Recycling, the fourth and last "R", is an important step in waste management hierarchy: it reduces the inputs (energy and raw materials) to a production system and reduces the amount of waste produced for disposal. Recycling gives us one more chance at diverting waste from the other methods for waste disposal (landfill or, incineration) that are environmentally damaging and unsustainable. Some materials, like aluminium, can be recycled indefinitely there is no change to the quality of the material as it is used over and over. Other recycled materials, like paper, may require a percentage of raw materials (wood fibers) to be added to compensate for the degradation of the recovered material. The process of recycling reduces energy consumption in the manufacturing process: the energy needed for the extraction of natural resources is eliminated and the energy needed for the manufacturing of new products is reduced as the resources being processed are purer. This reduces the environmental, social, and usually the economic costs of manufacturing. Concordia has developed an extensive recycling program and diverts 68% of the waste created on campus from being sent to landfill. The products recycled on campus include: paper and cardboard, plastic glass and metal, hazardous materials, and electronics. The Special Recycling Depots also collect items such as batteries, ink cartridges, cellular phones, and CDs for recycling.