ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the visual symbols used to identify recycling and its products. Three chasing arrows forming a Mobius loop have become the universal symbol of recycling. The original version has been widely adapted via variations which locate recycling in specific cultural contexts. These recycling symbols often have technical meaning – they tell us about recycled content or recyclability. They also have symbolic meaning – they express general pro-environmental intentions, often in novel combinations with other symbols. As a representation of environmentalism, the recycling symbol in all its variations is one of the most recognisable graphic devices in contemporary culture. This chapter presents the origins and evolution of the recycling visual symbol, exploring how it has exceeded the intentions of its initial remit.
