What is Closed Loop Recycling?
Closed loop recycling is a system where items, products, and materials that reach the end of their lives are reused and recycled. They’re kept in circulation and turned into new products, rather than being disposed of and becoming waste. Many types of recyclable rubbish are part of closed loop recycling systems.
Closing the loop saves resources and energy. It keeps materials in use, which means there’s less reliance on extracting fresh raw materials to create new products. And recycling is more energy efficient than creating most items from scratch. Closed loop recycling plays an important part in building a circular economy.
Your company may already be invested in closed loop recycling without realising it – if you regularly recycle glass, for example. There might be more opportunities you’re unaware of currently though. Understand what closed loop recycling is, how it works, and why it’s important for businesses, the environment, and individuals.
What is a closed loop recycling system?
A closed loop recycling system is a circular process. Products or materials are used and then turned into new items or back into their original material indefinitely. When they’re recycled or reused there are no raw materials added and nothing leaves as waste, it’s all kept within the same process.
Raw materials are used at the start of a closed loop recycling system to introduce new products and items. Then by being constantly reused and recycled they never leave the system, which means no further resources should be required or waste created. As the name suggests, it’s a continuous loop.
Open loop vs closed loop recycling
The difference between open loop recycling is that virgin or raw materials are added into the recycling process. Products and materials can be recycled into something different from their original form and the process may produce waste that’s not recycled. The process is still a loop, but it may only go around once.
Open loop recycling is still good for the environment and much better than disposing of materials in landfill or via incineration. However, an open loop recycling system eventually creates waste as some elements can’t be infinitely recycled. It reuses materials but in some ways, it delays their eventual disposal.
An example of open loop recycling could follow this process:
- Plastic bottles are recycled
- The plastic is shredded, and other materials added to create recycled fleece jackets
- Eventually, these fleece jackets wear out and are disposed of (even after being passed down and reused)
- They can’t be recycled again – so waste from the original plastic bottle is out of the loop
Closed loop recycling examples
You might already contribute to a closed loop recycling system without realising it. If not, there are many ways your business can start by arranging commercial recycling collections of various waste types. Common closed loop recycling examples include:
- Glass recycling – glass is one of the best examples of closed loop recycling as it’s infinitely recyclable. It can be recycled time and again without losing quality or needing other raw or virgin materials added. This includes recycling empty glass bottles, jars, and containers.
- Metal can recycling – aluminium metal cans often used for drinks and some foods are also part of a closed loop recycling system. They’re cleaned, crushed, rolled out, and recycled as new drink cans to keep the cycle going.
- Plastic recycling – certain types of plastic are also recyclable without the addition of new materials. The likes of milk bottles made from HDPE can be recycled into new milk bottles. However, not all plastics are part of closed loop systems, so it’s best to check first.
Not all recyclable rubbish can be part of a closed loop recycling system. Certain materials like paper and cardboard degrade and weaken after being recycled. This means eventually they leave the loop and are disposed of via other methods.
Why is closed loop recycling important?
Closed loop recycling is important as it reduces the reliance on raw materials to create products. This means less damage to the environment and habitats to source materials, which helps boost biodiversity. It helps preserve natural resources of which there may be a finite amount available (such as some precious metals).
Less energy is required to create products from recycled materials than raw and virgin ones, which means fewer carbon emissions are released in the process. It also eliminates and minimises waste, which saves valuable landfill space. These both mean less pollution compared to producing similar products from scratch.
Closed loop recycling helps businesses save money on their commercial waste disposal costs too. You won’t pay as much landfill tax to dispose of such waste materials (and may even benefit from recycling rebates if you have high volumes of certain types). Companies boost their green reputations at the same time.
Learn about helping the environment and reducing waste in our waste management help guides.
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