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Closed-loop recycling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Closed-loop recycling is the process by which a product or material can be used and then turned into a new product (or converted back to raw material) indefinitely without losing its properties during the recycling process.[1][2][3][4]
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By reducing the production and use of raw materials, closed-loop recycling minimizes harm to the environment and discourages resource depletion.[5] In contrast, open-loop recycling is the process by which a product is recycled but has to be mixed with raw materials to become a new product, typically leading to downcycling.[1]
Ideal closed-loop systems produce no waste. They are called "closed" because products have a circular life cycle, beginning as raw materials and either being recycled into replacement products, returning to the original raw materials, or being returned to the environment as biodegradable waste.[2] This reduces the amount of (non-biodegradable) waste disposed, as recyclables are recovered and reused, rather than ending up in a landfill or as a pollutant.