recycle
gb/ɹisˈaɪkəl/ us/ɹisˈaɪkəl/
B1
English
~ 6400
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
process waste so materials are reused
To send paper, bottles, cans, and other things to a place where they are made into new things, not put in the trash.
Usage pattern:
to recycle [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *recycle* when they mean the noun *recycling*, for example saying "I put it in the recycle" instead of "I put it in the recycling" or "the recycling bin." Another confusion is using *recycle* for general reuse: for simple personal reuse (e.g. using a jar to hold pens), *reuse* or *use again* can be clearer, while *recycle* usually means sending something to a place where it is processed into new material.
Synonyms
reprocess (More technical; emphasizes the industrial treatment of materials.)
Antonyms
throw away (Focuses on putting something in the trash instead of sending it to be recycled.)
Collocations
recycle paper
|recycle plastic bottles
|recycle glass
|recycle cans
|recycle household waste
|recycle rubbish
Themes
environment
|daily life
|science
|nature
|daily_life
Examples
- Our city now recycles paper, glass, and plastic at the curbside.
- Please rinse your bottles before you recycle them.
- The company recycles all of its cardboard packaging to reduce waste.
- Many schools teach children how and what to recycle.
Learner examples
- I recycle paper and bottles every week.
- You should recycle these cans, not put them in the trash.
- They recycle glass at the center near my house.
- We recycle plastic bags at the supermarket.
unknown
action
1
Process materials for reuse
To make used things ready to be used again instead of throwing them away.
Examples
- We should recycle paper and plastic to reduce waste.
- This factory recycles old metal into new products.
Verb
B2
action
2
use something again, not discard
To use an object again, or let another person use it, so it does not go in the trash.
Usage pattern:
to recycle [something] as/into [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that *recycle* can also mean simple reuse or passing things on, not only sending them to an official recycling service. However, when no processing or special system is involved, *reuse* or *use again* is often a bit clearer in everyday English.
Synonyms
reuse (More general and often preferred when something is simply used again without special processing.)
Antonyms
discard (Neutral, slightly formal word for throwing something away instead of using it again.)
Collocations
recycle old clothes
|recycle old jars as containers
|recycle gift bags
|recycle packaging
|recycle furniture
Themes
daily life
|environment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She recycles old jam jars as spice containers in the kitchen.
- We recycled our moving boxes by giving them to friends who were also moving.
- He likes to recycle old furniture instead of buying new pieces.
- They recycled gift bags from last year for this year's presents.
Learner examples
- I recycle old bottles as vases for flowers.
- We recycle our boxes and use them again.
- She recycles her children's clothes by giving them to her sister.
- He recycles glass jars and keeps sugar in them.
Verb
B2
action
3
reuse ideas or content again
To use the same idea, joke, story, or text again instead of creating something new.
Usage pattern:
to recycle [an idea/joke/material]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes misunderstand this sense as positive because recycling is good for the environment. When used about ideas, jokes, or content, *recycle* is often mildly negative and suggests a lack of originality.
Synonyms
rehash (Often more negative; strongly suggests that something old is repeated without adding anything new.)
Antonyms
originate (Focuses on creating something new, the opposite of reusing old ideas.)
Collocations
recycle old jokes
|recycle the same material
|recycle ideas
|recycle content
|recycle talking points
Themes
communication
|media
|work
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The comedian was criticized for recycling old jokes from his previous tour.
- This article just recycles the same arguments we've heard for years.
- The campaign keeps recycling the same talking points in every speech.
- Instead of recycling last year's presentation, she created completely new slides.
Learner examples
- The teacher does not like to recycle the same test every year.
- The writer recycled some old ideas in his new book.
- He recycled a joke that we heard yesterday.
- The band recycled an old song for their new album.
Verb
technical
C1
action
4
recirculate substances or resources
To make air, water, or another material go through a machine or system again so it can be used one more time.
Usage pattern:
to recycle [air/water/resources] through [a system]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical sense with everyday household recycling. Here the focus is on a closed system where a substance or resource is run through again, not on sending waste to an external recycling facility.
Synonyms
recirculate (Very close in meaning in technical and engineering contexts; often used instead of *recycle* for fluids and gases.)
Antonyms
release (Describes letting a substance leave the system instead of sending it back through to be used again.)
Collocations
recycle air
|recycle water
|recycle coolant
|recycle exhaust gases
|recycle funds into new projects
Themes
science
|technology
|business
Examples
- The spacecraft recycles air so that astronauts can breathe on long missions.
- The factory recycles cooling water to reduce its overall consumption.
- Modern buildings often recycle indoor air through advanced ventilation systems.
- The company plans to recycle profits into new research and development projects.
Learner examples
- The station recycles air for the people inside.
- This machine recycles water, so it uses less.
- The system recycles warm air through the rooms.
- They recycle profits into new business plans.
Grammar
Dictionary form
recycle
IPA
GB/ɹisˈaɪkəl/
US/ɹisˈaɪkəl/
Syllables & stress
re - cycle (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cycle)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: recycle
- 3rd Person Singular: recycles
- Present Participle: recycling
- Past: recycled
Word family
Forms
Core family
recyclable
adjective
Related words
recycler
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unrecyclable
adjective
Advanced or less common
recyclability
noun
Expressions
recycling bin
1/ɹisˈaɪklɪŋ bˈɪn/
fixed phrase
container for recyclable items
A special container where you put paper, bottles, cans, and other things that will be recycled.
Examples
- Please put your empty bottles in the blue recycling bin.
- We keep a small recycling bin next to the trash can in the kitchen.
recycling bin
1/ɹisˈaɪklɪŋ bˈɪn/
fixed phrase
container for recyclables
a bin for paper, bottles, cans, and other things that can be recycled
Examples
- Please put empty bottles in the recycling bin.
- The office has a recycling bin next to every printer.
- Our recycling bin is collected on Fridays.
recycling center
1/ɹisˈaɪklɪŋ sˈɛntɚ/
fixed phrase
place where recycling is done
A place where people or trucks take paper, glass, metal, and plastic so they can be recycled.
Examples
- I took all our old electronics to the local recycling center.
- The city opened a new recycling center on the edge of town.
recycling center
1/ɹisˈaɪklɪŋ sˈɛntɚ/
fixed phrase
place for recyclable waste
a place where you take things like old electronics, bottles, or cardboard so they can be recycled
Examples
- We took the old computer to the recycling center.
- The local recycling center accepts cardboard, glass, and batteries.
- A new recycling center opened outside town last year.
reduce, reuse, recycle
1/ɹɪdˈus | ɹijˈuz | ɹisˈaɪkəl/
fixed phrase
environmental slogan about waste
A common environmental message that tells people to create less waste, use things again, and recycle what they can.
Examples
- Environmental groups often promote the message: "Reduce, reuse, recycle."
- Posters in the school hallway say "Reduce, reuse, recycle" to remind students to cut their waste.
- Children learn the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle" at school to remember how to help the planet.
- Many cities use the phrase "Reduce, reuse, recycle" in their recycling campaigns.
- The teacher wrote "Reduce, reuse, recycle" on the board during the lesson about the environment.