What did the medieval people recycle?

Answer 1

Medieval people recycled anything they could.

In an era when production of durable goods was difficult, everything that could be recycled had value. They reused or recycled nearly everything, with the exception of things that could not be recycled, such as pottery. For example, smiths always found it less expensive to recycle metals than to obtain newly refined metals from newly mined ores.

A really good example of recycling in the middle ages tells a story of the history of paper and how that history impacted society. In the twelfth century, weavers in northern Europe developed more efficient looms, and as a result could supply an abundance of linen that the area had previously not seen. This resulted in the use of linen underwear and bedsheets. And this, in turn, resulted in the production of large supplies of rags.

Dealers in rags needed a way to use the rags, and someone thought up the idea of chopping them up, mashing them, and making them into paper. Once the equipment to do this had been developed, there was an abundance of paper that had not previously been seen. And this new paper had characteristics that were far superior to older papers. It was far stronger and more durable than the papyrus types of paper made from reeds, and it was more even and durable than vellum, which was made from leather.

Without that paper, the printing press never would have been practical.