reciclar
verbCEFR B1
What does “reciclar” mean in English?
to recycle
to recycle (process used materials so they can be reused — paper, glass, plastic, metal) — reciclar el plástico, reciclar en casa
Example sentences
En mi barrio se reciclan el papel, el vidrio y el plástico por separado, y la gente lo hace con bastante disciplina.
In my neighbourhood paper, glass and plastic are recycled separately, and people do it quite conscientiously.
Si todos recicláramos más en casa, la cantidad de residuos que acaban en los vertederos se reduciría enormemente.
If we all recycled more at home, the amount of waste ending up in landfills would be enormously reduced.
Han instalado nuevos contenedores para reciclar aceite de cocina usado, que antes era un problema difícil de gestionar.
They have installed new containers to recycle used cooking oil, which was previously a difficult problem to manage.
How to use it
Reciclar means 'to recycle' — to process used materials (paper, glass, plastic, metal) so they can be used again. It is a regular -ar verb and a safe cognate. Key collocates: reciclar papel/vidrio/plástico, reciclar en casa, contenedor de reciclaje (recycling bin). The related noun el reciclaje is masculine. In Spain, different-coloured bins (el contenedor amarillo/azul/verde) organise household recycling.
Common mistake
Reciclar is transitive when it takes a material (reciclamos el plástico) and intransitive in general statements (hay que reciclar más). The noun el reciclaje is not a direct substitute in all contexts: hablar del reciclaje (talking about recycling as a concept) vs. reciclar todos los días (the daily habit). Do not use *hacer reciclaje as a verbal phrase — reciclar as a single verb is always preferred.