There are many common items that are recycled regularly. Aluminum cans, newspapers, and other materials that are tossed into the recycling can are converted into new products to be used again. However, if a person doesn’t work within the recycling sector, they might be surprised to learn there are a number of items that are recycled and come from less common recyclable items. This article will lay out some of these interesting items.
1. Recycled Roads
With so many items available that are sourced from recycled materials, it’s no wonder we have not looked down at the road to think it may be recycled as well. Many items are used in the construction of recycled roads including roofing shingles, glass, and plastic. Recycled roads also have a long life and are sturdy and strong.
Roofing Shingles
Roofing shingles are being used at an increased pace in road construction projects. When a person or company shingles the roof of the building, those shingles become prime candidates to be included in recycled road construction. These shingles help conserve resources and at the same time deliver a great quality product.
Glass
Asphalt paving is using glass as a material to create more recycled roads. Waste glass has been imported by many communities looking to promote glass use in road construction. Glass is reflective and is also being used in road markers.
Plastic Recycled Roads
New recycling technologies are popping up all the time. One of the most recent is the introduction of plastic use in recycled road construction. There is much testing going on with this new method of plastic use and it is showing much promise. This method adds plastic to the existing road. About 150,000 plastic bottles per lane, per mile, is helping the road last up to three times as long as if the plastic had not been added. There are many benefits that may be realized using this method. The entire process is done on-site. The roads get ripped up and the plastic is then combined into the existing road materials. Another amazing aspect is that some roads may even be able to go through the entire construction process in one day and be ready for traffic on that same day.
2. Sleeping Bags, Clothing Items, and More
Hats, shirts, jackets, pants, blankets, sleeping bags and even shoes can be made from recycled materials. Many of these articles of clothing are worn everywhere without many people taking notice. The main ingredient used in creating recycled clothing is a material called polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET. This amazing material which is liquid when hot and solid when cooled can make not only clothing, but it can also make bottles, textiles, crinkle swimwear, and all sorts of packaging materials. The recycled clothing may come from polyethylene terephthalate, but the feel and look of the clothing are exceptional.
3. Baseball Bats
It isn’t news that recycled aluminum cans can be used perpetually forever in the circle of recycling life. However, what items do these recycled aluminum cans go into. Many think the cans are recycled only into a new recycled can and this is not even close to the reality. An item not thought of as recycled would b a baseball bat. There are many players in the game and they come of all ages. Many of the bats used in today’s game come from recycled aluminum. Aluminum is not the only material new bats are created from. There are a number of techniques to recycle wood products and transform them into a new wooden baseball bat. One method is taking broken and old skateboards and turning those recycled materials into a solid worthy tool of baseball.
4. Kitty Litter
Some of the top brands in kitty litter are using recycled paper products in their litter. Traditional clay-based litter is becoming a thing of the past with this advancement. New litter created with recyclable materials actually produces less dust and is more economical to create.
