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Some materials may be recycled repeatedly, with little or no loss of quality (such as glass and aluminum). Others (such as plastics and paper) experience a noticeable loss in quality when they are reprocessed. The term "downcycled", rather than "recycled", is used for such materials that may only be reprocessed into lower-grade materials.

Plastics are typically reprocessed only once before going to a landfill or incinerator, while paper may be reprocessed six or seven times. Some lower-grade products that may be made from recycled plastic include recycled fleece, plastic lumber, carpet, and toys.

It is also important to note that not all plastics may be recycled. Those with the highest rate of recyclability are #1/PET and #2/HDPE.

For more information, see Eureka Recycling's Fact Sheet on Plastic Complications, the Wikipedia entry for downcycling, the CITM at UT-Dallas April 2003 Newsletter Article "21st Century Recycling: New Ways Of Designing And Producing", and the GRRN Article "Manufacturing a Myth: The Plastics Recycling Ploy".

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