The waste is separated into recyclable materials (plastics, metals) and organic waste.

Examples include natural fibres, organic agricultural products, recyclable and biodegradable products or sustainably produced forest products.

In this way, companies that create durable or recyclable products empower consumers to think differently about their purchases.

Steel is completely recyclable, and its production requires relatively small amounts of energy, compared, for instance, to aluminium.

Even when we think or talk about recycling, lots of recyclable stuff ends up getting incinerated or in landfills and leaving many municipalities, diversion rates they leave much to be recycled.

But the process of separating the petroleum based recyclable plastics from other kinds of plastics and solid waste is difficult, costly, and labor intensive, so only a small proportion is recycled.

Kevin Surace suggests we rethink basic construction materials such as the familiar wallboard to reduce the huge carbon footprint generated by the manufacturing and construction of our buildings. He introduces EcoRock, a clean, recyclable and energy efficient drywall created by his team at Serious Materials.

But if you have thrown away an old mobile phone, not realizing that it contains a host of recyclable metals, you are not alone the average American disposes of a mobile phone every two years, with only one out of ten dismantled and recycled.