Reusing metals: recycling and recovery
A metal does not disappear when it reacts. Its parts are still there, in a new form. Metal can also be melted and used again. Recycling means collecting old metal things, such as drink cans, old pans and bicycle parts, and making new things from them. This saves energy, because making a thing from old metal needs much less energy than making it from ore dug out of the ground, and it reduces waste, because less goes to the rubbish. Some factories also use evaporation to get a pure solid back out of a liquid. We can help at home: keep metal separate from other rubbish, give old metal to a collector, and fix things instead of throwing them away. Egypt’s future can be greener when we reuse resources.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| reduce | use less | bring a refillable bottle |
| reuse | use again | mend a pan |
| recycle | make new things | metal to a collector |
Metal count. For one week, a grown-up and you keep a list of metal things your family throws away or gives away. Draw a bar chart with four bars: cans, tins, old pans, other. What could be recycled or mended?