'recyclable' originates from the English combination of the prefix 're-' (from Latin, meaning 'again'), the root 'cycle' (from Greek 'kyklos', meaning 'circle'), and the English suffix '-able' (indicating capability).

'recyclable' developed from the verb 'recycle' (mid 19th century), itself formed from 're-' + 'cycle' (Greek 'kyklos'). The adjectival suffix '-able' was later added in English to form 'recyclable'.

Originally 'recycle' conveyed the idea of 'circulating or using again'; over time it came to refer specifically to industrial or municipal processes that convert waste into reusable material, and 'recyclable' came to mean 'able to be processed for reuse'.