Answer:
Closed-loop recycles the same material into the same product, while open-loop recycles it into something different, usually of lower quality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Closed-loop and open-loop recycling are two different approaches to the reprocessing of materials.
They differ in their level of circularity and the quality of the recycled product.
Closed-loop recycling is a process in which a material is recycled back into the same product or a similar product, without significant degradation in quality.
This is sometimes referred to as "bottle-to-bottle" recycling, as the material from a used plastic bottle can be reprocessed into new plastic bottles.
Open-loop recycling, on the other hand, is when a material is recycled into a different product of lower quality.
For example, a used plastic bottle might be recycled into fleece jackets or carpet fibers. While this is still beneficial from an environmental standpoint, it does not conserve the material's full value.
Thus, Closed-loop: same product, high quality; Open-loop: different product, lower quality.