Definition, synonyms and related words
simple past tense and past participle of recycle
"The glass bottles were collected, cleaned, and recycled into new containers last week."
In plain English: To recycle is to process used items so they can be made into new products instead of being thrown away.
"The factory recycles old plastic bottles into new ones."
That has been through a recycling process.
"The bottle was made from recycled plastic that had been through a recycling process."
In plain English: Recycled means something that has been used once and then processed to be made into new products instead of being thrown away.
"We use recycled paper to make our notebooks because it is better for the environment."
Usage: Use recycled to describe materials that have already undergone processing and are ready for new use, distinguishing it from reused items which retain their original form. This adjective commonly modifies nouns like paper or plastic in contexts emphasizing environmental sustainability rather than the act of sorting waste itself.