This memory aid covers Memory Aids within Recycling for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Recycling in Using Resources for GCSE Chemistry with 23 exam-style questions and 14 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 6 of 9 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
🧠 Memory Aids
The 3 Rs in order of priority (most to least impactful):
Reduce → Reuse → Recycle
"You should always try to REDUCE what you use first. If you can't reduce, REUSE what you have. Only RECYCLE when the other two aren't possible."
Energy savings mnemonic — "ASPG" (metals in order of energy saving):
- Aluminium — 95% energy saving (best recycler)
- Steel — 60% energy saving
- Paper — 40% energy saving
- Glass — 30% energy saving (least, but still valuable)
Remember landfill produces METHANE (a greenhouse gas): "Buried rubbish + bacteria = methane gas underground." Methane is approximately 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO₂ over 100 years.
Practice questions for Recycling
Which of the following correctly describes recycling?
Explain three reasons why plastic recycling is more difficult than metal recycling.