The process of turning waste into raw materials that can be used for making new products. Recycling is meant to conserve natural resources and reduce waste, pollution and energy consumption. It reduces the need for raw, virgin materials while decreasing the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators, Recycling reduces energy consumption, since it takes less energy to recycle a product than to make a new one. Similarly, recycling produces less pollution than manufacturing a new product.