Paper is produced by pressing moist fibers like cellulose together. The cellulose pulp is generally derived from wood, grass or rags, which are dried into flexible sheets. Paper is a versatile material, which offers a wide array of uses. Paper has been used for centuries, from the 2nd Century in China, to the water-powered paper mills of medieval Europe. While it may take some time before the use of Styrofoam and other polystyrene products is discontinued, all of us need to continue dealing with the Styrofoam that ends up in our hands or kitchen tables, and also ensure that it doesn t end up in our landfills. The good thing is that expanded polystyrene foam packaging is being recycled at a rate of around 10 to 12 percent each year, which is a good start at least. The absence of a public waste removal and disposal system also made recycling a necessary task during these times. The Lack Of Resources Encouraged Recycling During Wartime The outbreak of two major world wars in the early 20th century brought crippling shortages of precious natural resources. These major world-changing occurrences dipped available resources, and forced governments to encourage recycling. Plastics Require A Lot Of Time And Energy To Recycle Plastic is a truly versatile product. It can either rigid or flexible, opaque or transparent. It can also be made to look like silk, wood or leather. It can be made into plastic toys, containers or even heart valves. There are 10,000 different types of plastics, and the raw materials for plastic are natural gas or petroleum. Among the most commonly-recycled materials include glass, plastic, textiles, electronic components, aluminum, cardboard and scrap metal. Here are a few helpful insights on the basics of scrap metal recycling. You can actually get money from recycling scrap metals. At the same time, scrap metal recycling can also be a good hobby, especially for those who like trying different ways for spending their leisure time. The total number though does not include data from hazardous, industrial and construction waste. The level of composting, or the process of recycling leave, grass and other organic items, rose from 3,227 in 2003, to 3,470 in 2005 alone. From 2005 alone, 50 percent of all paper products in the country was recycled, which amounted to 42 million tons of recycled paper.