How many ways to recycle can you think of? Putting your glass and paper out for collection every week, turning old clothes into whole new outfits or making a giant model of the earth from green and blue plastic bottles?

In many parts of the world, recycling is done by necessity; part of a way of life where nothing is wasted and value is found in seemingly useless objects. Elsewhere, artists, governments and businesses have found creative and useful ways to recycle unwanted materials — a plastic bottle may find itself reborn as artwork, a warm blanket, or fuel oil.

We’re amazed by all the different ways to recycle captured in this stunning photo essay of recycling efforts around the world, ranging from the small and whimsical to the truly industrial in scale.

Do you have any unusual recycling ideas? Please share them below or email us images to post on the site.

A model presents a creation with recycled materials during Ecofashion 2011, on March 26, 2011, in Cali, Colombia. (Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images)

January 10, 2012 | Filed under Environment, Featured, Show All, We've been inspired by and tagged with recycling.