This practice is called closing the loop. By giving our recycled wastes a useful place to go and essentially reusing them again, we help finish the process that starts in our recycling bins. To be an effective shopper for products made from recycled materials, it's helpful to know the terms companies use to define the kinds of recycled materials they're using in their products and packaging. Understanding these terms will help you make the best choice and the biggest difference when you shop. Virgin Materials Virgin materials are created from things found in nature.
Virgin paper is made from trees.
Virgin metals are made from mineral ores. Virgin plastic is made from crude oil. These kinds of materials take the biggest bite out of the environment because they consume natural resources, and need large amounts of energy and water to turn themselves into usable commodities. You won't see products declaring they're made from virgin materials. When there's no mention of recycled content, you can generally assume that the product is made with virgin materials.