▁come ▁by , ▁arch ae ological ▁studies ▁of ▁ancient ▁waste ▁d umps ▁show ▁less ▁household ▁waste ▁( such ▁as ▁ash , ▁broken ▁tools , ▁and ▁pot tery ) — imp lying ▁more ▁waste ▁was ▁being ▁rec yc led ▁in ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁new ▁material . ▁ ▁In ▁pre - indust rial ▁times , ▁there ▁is ▁evidence ▁of ▁sc rap ▁bronze ▁and ▁other ▁met als ▁being ▁collected ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁m elt ed ▁down ▁for ▁perpet ual ▁reuse . ▁P aper ▁rec y cling ▁was ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁ 1 0 3 1 ▁when ▁Japanese ▁sh ops ▁sold ▁rep ul ped ▁paper . ▁In ▁Britain ▁dust ▁and ▁ash ▁from ▁wood ▁and ▁coal ▁fires ▁was ▁collected ▁by ▁" d ust men " ▁and ▁down cyc led ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁material ▁used ▁in ▁brick ▁making . ▁The ▁main ▁driver ▁for ▁these ▁types ▁of ▁rec y cling ▁was ▁the ▁economic ▁advantage ▁of ▁obtain ing ▁rec yc led ▁feed stock ▁instead ▁of ▁acqu iring ▁vir gin ▁material , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁public ▁waste ▁removal ▁in ▁ever ▁more ▁dens ely ▁populated ▁areas . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 3 , ▁Benjamin ▁Law ▁developed ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁turning ▁ra gs ▁into ▁" sh od dy " ▁and ▁" m ung o " ▁w ool ▁in ▁Bat ley , ▁York shire . ▁This ▁material ▁combined ▁rec yc led ▁fib ers ▁with ▁vir gin ▁w ool . ▁The ▁West ▁York shire ▁sh od dy ▁industry ▁in ▁towns ▁such ▁as ▁Bat ley ▁and ▁D ew s bury ▁last ed ▁from