Everyone knows how to recycle; Used items are dropped off at the curb, sent to donation centers and picked up for use, but many don't know where their products go afterward. Sure, recycled materials can be reused and reduce pollution and the basic facts everyone knows, but how exactly do different elements benefit our environment? The facts and statistics presented on how things are recycled and how they help our world turn out to be more interesting and beneficial than one might think. Recycling is a very complex process that has many global benefits that our citizens should be more aware of in their daily lives. The complicated recycling process once the products are picked up at the curb is worth the work of preserving the environment. Different products receive different treatment when it comes to breaking down the material in order to create something new. The paper is first sorted according to its type, weight, use, color and whether or not it has already been recycled (Cirabianowski, 1). From there, the ink is removed, the paper is pulped, filtered to remove contaminants (What Happens to Materials When You Recycle, 2), then pulverized and rolled into flat sheets for pressing , dried and cut to size. (Cirabianowski,1). Plastic is problematic due to its low production cost and the fact that it is not biodegradable. It usually takes on a new form once recycled. It is sorted and filtered, turned into pellets and processed to make fleece fabrics, building materials, molded furniture or insulation (Cirabianowski, 4). The steel is sorted, melted, and refined into large coils that can be shipped to manufacturers to make automobile parts or construction materials (Cirabianowski, 4). Recycling g...... middle of paper ......Canada: DellPublishing, 1990. Print.Pulley, Brenda. “RECYCLING FACTS AND STATISTICS.” Recycling facts and statistics. Keep AmericaBeautiful Inc, and Web. April 8, 2014. “Reducing, Reusing, Upcycling, and Upcycling Processes.” Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management District. Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management District. Internet. April 4, 2014. Roleff, Tamara. Opposing views on pollution. SanDiego: Greenhaven Press, Inc, 2000. Print: “The Recycling Process.” RSS. Novelis Inc, nd Web. April 4, 2014. us/Pages/The-Recycling-Process.aspx>. “What happens to materials when you recycle.” The recycling process after collection. Np, July 14, 1998. Web. April 4 2014. .