Recycle: Meaning, Examples & How to Use It

Meaning 1：reprocess waste (recycle)

recycle 🔊

/ˌriːˈsaɪkəl/

To process old or used things so they can be made into new products, instead of throwing them away as trash.

Hand dropping plastic bottle into blue recycling bin with recycle symbol

reprocess waste 🔊

➕

/riːˈprəʊses weɪst/

To collect and process used materials (such as paper, glass, plastic) so that they can be made into new products, reducing waste and saving resources.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 're-' (again) and 'cyclus' (circle), meaning to put through a cycle again.

💡 Mnemonic

Re- (again) + cycle (circle). Picture a paper going through a circular process to become new paper.

📖 Example

She always makes sure to recycle plastic bottles by putting them in the correct bin. 🔊 She always makes sure to recycle plastic bottles by putting them in the correct bin.

🔗 Collocations

recycle paper – Process used paper so it can be made into new paper products.

recycle plastic – Process used plastic items to create new plastic materials.

recycle waste – Process discarded materials to recover usable resources.

🔄 Synonyms

reuse (v.) – To use something again, either for the same or a different purpose.

reclaim (v.) – To retrieve or recover materials from waste for further use.

recover (v.) – To extract or obtain usable substances from waste.

🚫 Antonyms

discard (v.) – To throw away or get rid of something as useless.

waste (v.) – To use or expend carelessly, without recovering value.

🌱 Derivatives

recyclable (adj.) – Capable of being processed and used again.

recycling (n.) – The process of converting waste into reusable material.

recycler (n.) – A person or machine that recycles materials.

📖 Cultural Story

Recycle gained prominence in the 1970s environmental movement. Its symbol, three chasing arrows, was designed in 1970 by Gary Anderson for a contest.