a process is described for recycling dry aqueous fluid absorbent polymer fines into a process that includes a polymerization step for making the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer . the process requires recovering the dry polymer fines , mixing the fines with a polymerizable monomer solution for making the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer and polymerizing the mixture of fines and monomer to form the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer . in the process the fines are incorporated into the new polymer gel and becomes indistinguishable therefrom . the gel may then comminuted into a particulate dried and then separated into a portion having a desired minimum particle size in a fines portion having less than the desired size . the fines portion is then recycled up to about 30 percent by weight based on gel solids may be recycled for the preferred polyacrylate based aqueous fluid absorbent polymer .