How Does Recycling Work? | A2 ESL Science Reading Passage

Use this A2-B1 ESL science reading passage to learn how recycling works. It includes key vocabulary, reading comprehension questions, and answers for English learners.

Recycling turns old materials into new products.

Reading Level

A2-B1

Word Count

202 words

Reading Passage

People throw away many things every day. Some of these things can be used again. Recycling helps turn old paper, plastic, glass, and metal into useful products.

Recycling often starts with a bin. People put bottles, cans, boxes, and paper in a recycling bin. Trucks collect these items and take them to a recycling center.

At the center, workers and machines sort the items. They put paper with paper, glass with glass, and metal with metal. This step is important because different materials need different kinds of work.

Next, the materials are cleaned. Dirty food, labels, or small pieces of trash may be removed. Then the materials are cut, crushed, melted, or changed into smaller pieces. A factory can use these pieces to make new products.

Recycled paper can become new paper. Recycled metal can become new cans. Recycled plastic can become bottles, boxes, or other items.

Recycling does not make trash disappear, but it can reduce waste. It helps people use materials more than once.

Recycling works best when people put the right things in the right bin. Very dirty items or mixed materials can be harder to recycle. This is why clean sorting is an important part of the process.

Recycling collects, sorts, cleans, and changes materials.

Key Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
recycling	the process of using old materials to make new things	Recycling can turn old cans into new cans.
waste	things people throw away	Recycling can reduce waste.
material	a thing used to make objects	Glass is a useful material.
sort	to put things into groups	Workers sort paper, metal, and plastic.
factory	a place where people or machines make products	A factory can make new bottles.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What does recycling do?
2. Where do people often put bottles, cans, boxes, and paper?
3. Why is sorting important?
4. What may happen to materials after they are cleaned?
5. Why is recycling useful?

Answers

1. Recycling uses old materials to make new things.
2. People often put them in a recycling bin.
3. Sorting is important because different materials need different kinds of work.
4. They may be cut, crushed, melted, or changed into smaller pieces.
5. Recycling is useful because it can reduce waste and use materials more than once.

Short Summary

Recycling collects, sorts, cleans, and changes old materials so factories can make new products from them.

More Easy Readings

• What Is the Water Cycle? | A2 ESL Science Reading Passage
• Why Does Metal Rust? | A2 ESL Science Reading Passage
• How Do Rivers Shape the Land? | A2 ESL Science Reading Passage