Environment, Separate Disposal, and Recycling Vocabulary

Reuse and Recycling

Reuse means not throwing away used items but repairing them and using them again for their original purpose. Wearing mended old clothes or buying and using secondhand furniture are examples of reuse. Since no new items are bought, it has the effect of reducing waste. Recycling means collecting used items, returning them to raw material, and then making new items. While reuse keeps the shape of an item and uses it again, recycling differs in that it revives the item as material to make other things. Collecting used bottles or cans and making them into new products is a typical example of recycling. The two terms are both ways of reducing waste, but they should not be understood as having the same meaning. Reuse means using an item again as it is, while recycling means returning an item to the material stage and making it again.

An item used once and then thrown away is called a disposable product (일회용품), and an item that can be used many times is called a reusable product (다회용품). Disposable bags or disposable cups become waste as soon as they are used, increasing the amount of waste. Reusable shopping bags or reusable cups are used repeatedly, which helps reduce waste. Practices of using reusable products, such as using shopping bags, are spreading to many places. Some stores sell paper bags instead of plastic bags, or offer discounts to customers who bring their own shopping bags. Using a personal cup instead of a disposable cup is also considered a small practice that reduces waste.

In questions asking about order, connecting expressions between sentences serve as clues. The following expressions show the relationship between what comes before and after.

• 그래서 (so, therefore) — Used to connect a result or conclusion of the preceding content. Ex) 쓰레기가 계속 늘고 있다. 그래서 다회용품을 쓰는 사람이 많아졌다. (Waste keeps increasing. So more people use reusable products.)
• 하지만 (but, however) — Used to connect content that contrasts with the preceding content. Ex) 다회용 컵은 환경에 좋다. 하지만 사용 후 씻어야 하는 번거로움이 있다. (Reusable cups are good for the environment. However, they have the inconvenience of being washed after use.)
• 최근에는 (recently) — Used to describe a changed situation in present times. Ex) 최근에는 텀블러를 가져오면 할인을 받는 곳도 있다. (Recently, there are places that offer a discount if you bring a tumbler.)

Separate Disposal Methods

Separate disposal means sorting waste by type and putting it out. Recyclable items of different materials, such as paper, plastic, and cans, must be collected separately to make recycling easier and save resources. If food waste or other types of substances are mixed with recyclable items, sorting becomes difficult and the quality of the recyclable items drops. Therefore, recyclable items must be washed clean before they are put out.

The separate disposal methods for each item can be summarized as follows.