kě huí shōu wù: 可回收物 - Recyclable(s), Recyclable Material(s)

• Keywords: kěhuīshōuwù, 可回收物, Chinese for recyclable, recycling in China, Shanghai recycling, what is recyclable in China, Chinese trash sorting, garbage classification China, environmental protection China.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 可回收物 (kě huí shōu wù), meaning 'recyclables' or 'recyclable materials'. This guide breaks down the characters, explains its crucial role in China's modern environmental policies and daily life, especially after the implementation of strict trash sorting rules in cities like Shanghai. Discover how to use this term correctly with practical examples and understand the cultural shift towards sustainability in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): kě huí shōu wù
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: Things or materials that are suitable for recycling.
• In a Nutshell: 可回收物 (kě huí shōu wù) is the standard, official term you'll see on recycling bins (usually blue ones) all across China. It literally translates to “can be returned and collected things.” It refers to common recyclables like paper, plastic, glass, and metal, which form a key category in China's nationwide mandatory garbage sorting initiative.

• 可 (kě): Means “can,” “able to,” or “suitable for.” It indicates potential or permissibility.
• 回 (huí): Means “to return” or “to go back.” In this context, it implies returning materials to a state where they can be reused.
• 收 (shōu): Means “to receive,” “to collect,” or “to gather.” This refers to the act of collecting these materials for processing.
• 物 (wù): Means “thing,” “object,” or “matter.”

Combining them creates a very logical and transparent term: 可 (can be) + 回收 (recycled/reclaimed) + 物 (things), literally “things that can be collected and returned,” or simply, recyclables.

The term 可回收物 skyrocketed in daily importance after 2019, when Shanghai implemented a strict, mandatory municipal waste-sorting regulation. This event marked a major turning point in China's public environmental policy and rapidly made 可回收物 a household word for hundreds of millions of people. Unlike in many Western countries where recycling evolved over decades as a grassroots, bottom-up movement, China's recycling push has been a massive, top-down, government-led campaign. This created a unique cultural moment where citizens had to quickly learn and adapt to a new set of daily rules, enforced by community volunteers and potential fines. Memes and guides for sorting trash went viral, and understanding the difference between 可回收物 and other categories like 干垃圾 (gān lājī, dry waste) became a sudden and essential life skill. Therefore, 可回收物 is more than just a label; it's a symbol of China's national-level push for an “ecological civilization” (生态文明, shēngtài wénmíng) and its capacity to mobilize society to achieve large-scale policy goals. It represents a tangible shift in the daily habits and environmental consciousness of a nation.

You will encounter 可回收物 primarily in the context of waste management and environmental protection.

• On Signage: This is the most common usage. The characters 可回收物 are printed on public and residential trash receptacles, almost always on a blue-colored bin.
• In Official Communications: The term is used in government announcements, community notices, and educational pamphlets explaining the garbage sorting rules.
• In Daily Conversation: While it's a formal term, people use it when discussing how to sort their trash. For example, a person might ask, “Is this plastic bottle a 可回收物?” to ensure they're using the correct bin. It's a practical, necessary part of urban life now.

• Example 1:
  • 可回收物请投放到蓝色垃圾桶里。
  • Pinyin: kě huí shōu wù qǐng tóufàng dào lán sè lājītǒng lǐ.
  • English: Please put recyclables into the blue trash can.
  • Analysis: This is a typical sentence you would see on a sign next to trash bins. It's a polite imperative.
• Example 2:
  • 这个塑料瓶是可回收物吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhè ge sùliào píng shì kě huí shōu wù ma?
  • English: Is this plastic bottle a recyclable?
  • Analysis: A common, practical question asked in daily life when someone is unsure how to sort their garbage.
• Example 3:
  • 玻璃、金属和干净的纸张都属于可回收物。
  • Pinyin: Bōlí, jīnshǔ hé gānjìng de zhǐzhāng dōu shǔyú kě huí shōu wù.
  • English: Glass, metal, and clean paper all belong to the category of recyclables.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides examples of what constitutes 可回收物. The verb 属于 (shǔyú) means “to belong to” or “to be classified as.”
• Example 4:
  • 我总是搞不清楚哪些东西算是可回收物。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zǒngshì gǎo bù qīngchǔ nǎxiē dōngxi suànshì kě huí shōu wù.
  • English: I can never figure out which things count as recyclables.
  • Analysis: This sentence expresses the common confusion people felt when the new sorting rules were introduced. 搞不清楚 (gǎo bù qīngchǔ) is a very colloquial way to say “can't figure out.”
• Example 5:
  • 请大家注意区分可回收物和干垃圾。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng dàjiā zhùyì qūfēn kě huí shōu wù hé gān lājī.
  • English: Everyone, please pay attention to distinguishing between recyclables and dry waste.
  • Analysis: A common instruction from a community manager or public notice. The distinction between recyclables and dry waste is a major point of confusion.
• Example 6:
  • 妈妈教我把废纸板放进可回收物的箱子里。
  • Pinyin: Māma jiāo wǒ bǎ fèi zhǐbǎn fàng jìn kě huí shōu wù de xiāngzi lǐ.
  • English: Mom taught me to put the waste cardboard into the recyclables' box.
  • Analysis: Shows how the concept is being taught within the family. The 把 (bǎ) structure is used here to emphasize the disposal of the object.
• Example 7:
  • 这项新政策旨在提高可回收物的回收率。
  • Pinyin: Zhè xiàng xīn zhèngcè zhǐ zài tígāo kě huí shōu wù de huíshōu lǜ.
  • English: This new policy aims to increase the recovery rate of recyclable materials.
  • Analysis: A more formal sentence you might hear in a news report or read in an article about environmental policy.
• Example 8:
  • 被食物污染过的外卖餐盒不算是可回收物。
  • Pinyin: Bèi shíwù wūrǎn guò de wàimài cānhé bù suànshì kě huí shōu wù.
  • English: Takeout containers that have been contaminated by food do not count as recyclables.
  • Analysis: This gives a specific rule and a negative example, which is crucial for correct sorting. This item would typically be classified as 干垃圾 (dry waste).
• Example 9:
  • 许多公司现在都致力于将生产废料转化为可回收物。
  • Pinyin: Xǔduō gōngsī xiànzài dōu zhìlì yú jiāng shēngchǎn fèiliào zhuǎnhuà wéi kě huí shōu wù.
  • English: Many companies are now dedicated to transforming production waste into recyclable materials.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the term's use in a business or industrial context, related to corporate social responsibility.
• Example 10:
  • 正确处理可回收物对环境保护有重要意义。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngquè chǔlǐ kě huí shōu wù duì huánjìng bǎohù yǒu zhòngyào yìyì.
  • English: Correctly handling recyclables is of great significance for environmental protection.
  • Analysis: A broad, concluding statement about the importance of the concept, suitable for educational materials.

• Noun, not a Verb: 可回收物 is a noun. You cannot say “I want to 可回收物 this bottle.” The verb for “to recycle” is 回收 (huíshōu).
  • Incorrect: 我要可回收物这个瓶子。 (Wǒ yào kě huí shōu wù zhège píngzi.)
  • Correct: 我要回收这个瓶子。 (Wǒ yào huíshōu zhège píngzi.)
• “Recyclable” vs. “Reusable”: 可回收物 refers to material that will be broken down and reprocessed (like a plastic bottle being melted down). Don't confuse it with “reusable” (可重复使用, kě chóngfù shǐyòng), which refers to an item you can use again as-is (like a canvas shopping bag).
• Local Rules Apply: What is considered a 可回收物 in China, and specifically in one city versus another, might be different from your home country. For example, in Shanghai, paper or plastic contaminated with food is often classified as 干垃圾 (gān lājī, dry waste), not recyclables. Always check local guidelines.

• 垃圾分类 (lājī fēnlèi): Trash sorting/classification. The entire system that 可回收物 is a part of.
• 干垃圾 (gān lājī): Dry Waste. A key category in the Shanghai system, including items that aren't recyclable, hazardous, or kitchen waste. This is the most common point of confusion with recyclables.
• 湿垃圾 (shī lājī): Wet/Kitchen Waste. The category for food scraps and other organic waste.
• 有害垃圾 (yǒuhài lājī): Hazardous Waste. The fourth major category, for things like batteries, old electronics, and medicine.
• 环保 (huánbǎo): Environmental protection. The broader ideological concept driving these policies.
• 回收 (huíshōu): The verb “to recycle” or “to reclaim.”
• 资源 (zīyuán): Resources. The goal of recycling is to conserve natural resources.
• 废物利用 (fèiwù lìyòng): Waste utilization; making use of waste products. A concept closely related to recycling.
• 可持续发展 (kě chíxù fāzhǎn): Sustainable development. The high-level national strategy that encompasses recycling efforts.