The idea behind recycling is simple. By breaking old products down and converting them into something usable again, we conserve natural resources. It saves forests, cuts emissions, and means less pollution. Sadly it's not that simple. Recycling is deeply entwined with our economic system, and right now doesn't make much economic sense. It often costs more to recycle than it does to just throw things away, which is bad news for the environment. So is it worth paying for? Recycling saves serious amounts of energy, which in turn means lower greenhouse gas emissions. Making cans from recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy than mining and using raw materials. Recycling steel saves 60%, as does recycling paper. So it boils down to how quickly we're able to remake the way we make things. As of 2018, we were on track to generate waste at more than double the rate of population growth through 2050, so we can expect plenty more rubbish to pile up. Some communities are running out of room to store all their trash and have stopped collecting plastic, paper and glass. Others are just sending material to landfills or burning it. Such issues have given environmentalists cause to suggest more radical approach is needed, saying we should rethink our relationship with material and be using less stuff in the first place.