Where Did the Recycling Symbol Come From?

The recycling symbol is actually an internationally recognized symbol denoting that an item is

recyclable by conventional means. It is comprised of 3 chasing arrows in an unending single-sided looped surface, also called a Möbius strip, representing continuity.

Believe it or not, the recycling symbol is considered to be in the public domain and is not trademarked. It can be copied, transformed, or manipulated to fit any needs.  It can also be printed or portrayed in any color.

A contest for high school and college students, sponsored by the Container Corporation of America, was held to find a universally accepted symbol for recyclable items. This came as a result of worldwide attention to environmental issues which ultimately brought about the first Earth Day.

"The original recycling symbol was designed in 1970 by Gary Anderson, a senior at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. It was submitted to the International Design Conference as part of the nationwide contest."

What Does the Recycling Symbol Represent?

The 3 arrows have twists and turns, in itself, and all three arrows chase each other. "Each of the three arrows can represent one step in a three-step process that forms a closed loop, called the recycling loop. 

• The first step represents collection of materials to be recycled. This step takes place when recyclable materials are placed into your curbside recycling bin or taken to a local collection center. The collected materials are then cleaned and sorted for sale to a manufacturing facility. 
• The manufacturing process is the second arrow in the recycling symbol. The recyclable materials are manufactured into new products for retail or commercial sale. 
• The third step is the actual purchase and use of the products made from the recycled materials. The loop is now complete."

earthodyssey.com

wikipedia.org

earth911.com