European countries are now making an active effort to reuse materials more than they used to. This is called recycling. Materials such as paper, glass or metal are collected, sorted, treated and used again. Old papers are recycled. The ink is taken out by a special technique, and new paper is made. Oil from fatories and motor oil can be treated and resued. In many cities in Europe rubbish is collected separately. Empty glass bottles are collected, and the glass is broken and reused for making new bottles.
Developing countries all over the world already recycle materials. In India, waste paper is collected, sorted and recycled. Paper bags are made from unsold newspapers. In Egypt, waste is collected by rubbish cars and sorted. Leftover food is given to pigs and vegetable matter is put back onto the fields. In some Asian countries, shoes are made from the rubber of old car tyres.
The Chinese government is also working hard against poilution. More than 60,000 small factories which seriously polluted the enrivonment were shut down in 1996. Many materials like used rubber gloves, glass bottles, cans and other containers are treated or recycled. However, no single country can save the environment alone.
欧洲国家现在正在积极努力比过去更多地重复使用旧材料。这叫做废物的回收再用。像纸张、玻璃或金属这类材料，收集起来加以分类，经过处理后重新使用。旧报纸可以回收再用，用特殊的技术清除油墨，再造新的纸张。工厂的废油和发动机的机油，都可以经过处理重新利用。在欧洲的许多城市里，垃圾是分类收集的。把空的玻璃瓶收集起来，打碎后再用来制造新瓶子。
全世界的发展中国家都已经在回收利用材料。在印度，把废纸收集起来加以分类，再经过制造加以利用。没有卖出去的报纸用来制成纸袋。在埃及，用垃圾车收集废物，再加以分类。残菜剩饭用来喂猪，蔬菜的根茎用来肥田。亚洲有些国家用旧的汽车轮胎制造鞋。
中国政府也在致力于反污染斗争。曾经严重污染环境的6万多家小工厂已于1996年关闭。许多剃料，如用过的橡胶手套、玻璃瓶、罐头盒子和其他容器都经过回收处理。但是，没有任何一个国家能单独来拯救环境的。
