I've heard of a circular economy, but what exactly does that mean?

Recycling and building a more circular economy takes a team effort. Here's how it works - residents, businesses and event organizers place items accepted for recycling into recycling containers. MRF’s properly sort the recyclables.  Manufacturers purchase these commodities for use as raw materials in order to create recycled-content products. Recyclables are bought and sold just like raw materials so prices go up and down depending on supply and demand in the United States and globally. And, of course, you and I do our part to purchase materials made from recycled-content. 

This is how a circular economy works.

Circular Econ


The circular economy is an aspirational framework organizations and businesses may use to re-think and re-design their processes and products to have a positive impact on society and the environment we depend on. With creativity and innovation, our society can start to transition from a 'take-make-waste' society to a more circular economy recognizing the true value of natural resources. 

To learn more about Ohio's circular economy, check out this page

Show All Answers

1. What's accepted for recycling?
2. What's not accepted for recycling?
3. Why can't I bag my recyclables?
4. Why is it important to flatten cardboard boxes before placing them in my container?
5. How do I recycle in my community?
6. I live in an apartment, condo or other multi-family housing unit and don't have curbside. Where can I recycle?
7. What happens during the recycling process?
8. How does a recycling facility work?
9. What's our county's recycling rate?
10. Why is recycling important?
11. I recycle everything, even if I'm not sure if it's accepted. Is this okay?
12. How do I recycle items not accepted?
13. What do I do with my yard waste?
14. How do I recycle plastic bags?
15. Is there anywhere I can recycle #5 plastics?
16. What does a recycling symbol on a product mean?
17. What do the numbers of plastics mean?
18. Why aren't napkins, paper towels, or tissues accepted for recycling?
19. Why isn't Styrofoam accepted?
20. What do I do with prescription drugs?
21. When are pizza boxes not accepted?
22. How can I report illegal dumping and littering?
23. Why are aluminum and steel cans accepted but other metals aren't?
24. Why are beverage/food cartons accepted?
25. What's made from recycled plastic bottles?
26. What's made from recycled aluminum cans?
27. What's made from recycled glass?
28. What's made from recycled cartons?
29. I've heard of a circular economy, but what exactly does that mean?
30. I want to reduce and reuse! What should I do?
31. Why are recycling and landfill bins sometimes emptied into the same container?
32. Why are recyclables not sorted out at the landfill?