recyclable
Americanadjective
Explanation
Don’t chuck anything recyclable because it can be used again. Glass bottles and paper are recyclable. Styrofoam and unicorns are not. Recycling happens when things like old paper, plastic food containers, and metal cans are turned into something new. Recyclable paper, for example, might find a new life as a cardboard box, and recyclable soda bottles might be transformed into plastic benches and tables. Not everything is recyclable, and people who care about reducing consumption and pollution will often make sure they're buying food and other goods in recyclable containers.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The concept is reusable and recyclable," said Han Nguyen, a doctoral student in the Han Group and lead author of the study.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2026
Wish-cycling is when consumers dump everything into a single-stream recycling bin, hoping it’s recyclable, even when it isn’t.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
Meanwhile, some small boat models use a recyclable synthetic deck.
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026
The plan suggests the state should evaluate the federal government’s exemptions and exclusions for recyclable streams of hazardous waste.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025
“Her mom invented this recyclable paper coffee cup that holds in heat but keeps the outside from burning your hand.”
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
