11.33 How to Recycle

Taking care of the planet isn’t just for Earth Day! Read on to learn about how you can make a difference every day by reducing, reusing, and recycling!

Why Recycle?

Did you know that the average person creates just over four pounds of garbage per day? If you want to think of it in terms of how much garbage a person creates on an annual basis, that number is 1.5 tons! That’s more than the weight of some cars! If you multiply that number by the number of members in your family and think of all that trash, you may realize that it’s a whole lot!

It’s probably best that all that garbage doesn’t end up in a landfill.

This is what a landfill looks like.

It can take 700 years for plastic and 1,000,000 years for glass to decompose in a landfill – we definitely don’t want to add more than we need to.

1. Main points:

• The average person generates over four pounds of garbage every day, amounting to 1.5 tons annually.
• It’s crucial to consider alternatives to landfills due to the long decomposition times of materials like plastic and glass.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are the different types of materials mentioned in the text and how long do they take to decompose in a landfill?
• Contextual Analysis: Why does the text emphasize the importance of not adding more waste to landfills?
• Thematic Analysis: What themes are highlighted in the text regarding waste management and environmental impact?

3. Further Discussion:

• How do you think we can reduce the amount of garbage we produce each day?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "It can take 700 years for plastic and 1,000,000 years for glass to decompose in a landfill."
• Contextual Analysis: "It’s probably best that all that garbage doesn’t end up in a landfill."
• Thematic Analysis: The text highlights the themes of waste management and environmental impact by focusing on the significant amounts of waste produced by individuals and the long decomposition times of materials like plastic and glass.

What Can Be Recycled?

• Metals- things like soda cans, soup cans, coffee cans, aluminum foil, bakeware
• Paper/Cardboard- things like cardboard boxes, magazines, newspapers, junk mail, cardboard dairy/juice boxes
• Glass- clear, brown, and green glass bottles or jars
• Plastics- most plastics can be recycled – milk jugs, soda bottles, laundry detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, plastic bags
• Batteries – car batteries, household batteries
• Electronics – old computers, tablets, phones, printers, televisions

1. Main points:

• The text lists different types of recyclable materials, including metals, paper/cardboard, glass, plastics, batteries, and electronics.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are the different types of recyclable materials mentioned in the text?
• Thematic Analysis: What theme does the listing of these recyclable materials suggest about waste management?
• Ideological Analysis: What underlying message does the text convey about the importance of recycling?

3. Further Discussion:

• Can you think of ways to reuse some of these items instead of throwing them away or recycling them?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: The text mentions "Metals," "Paper/Cardboard," "Glass," "Plastics," "Batteries," and "Electronics" as different types of recyclable materials.
• Thematic Analysis: The listing of these materials suggests the theme of responsible waste management and the importance of recycling in our daily lives.
• Ideological Analysis: The underlying message of the text is to promote recycling and the importance of responsibly managing different types of waste to reduce environmental impact.

Recycling: A How-to Guide

Recycling at Home

• You want to first ask the adults you live with if you have curbside collection or if you need to bring your own garbage to the landfill. Depending on which one you have, it will help if you know what can be recycled and how to recycle in your community.
• Each city/town and private waste collection companies have their own rules for recycling. It’s important that you research the guidelines on their website or in their mailings before you start.
• Some curbside collections require for materials to be sorted into different types of materials, while others have single-stream recycling, a system that does the sorting for you!

If you have single-stream curbside recycling, you may have a city-issued container like the one in the image.

Single-stream Recycling Bin

• No matter what type of recycling you have, you want to make sure all recycled items are clean. That means that you have to empty them out, and in many cases, they will need to be rinsed.
• Also, don’t forget to flatten all the boxes that you want to recycle. You want to make as much room as possible in your containers!

Recycling on the Go

When you’re out and you just finish your favorite bottle of soda, what do you do?

Many public places now have recycling bins next to the garbage cans. While some are the single-stream like were discussed earlier, many times you will need to sort your recyclables in the proper bins.

Public Recycling Bins

Try to find these recycling bins instead of tossing your garbage in the regular trash cans. Don’t worry about washing your containers out, just try to empty them out and then place them in the right receptacle.

1. Main points:

• The text provides guidance on recycling at home and in public, emphasizing the importance of understanding local recycling rules and practices, such as curbside collection and single-stream recycling.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are the two main contexts for recycling discussed in the text?
• Socio-cultural Analysis: How does the text suggest that recycling practices vary based on location?
• Thematic Analysis: What does the text imply about personal responsibility in recycling, both at home and in public?

3. Further Discussion:

• If you could design a recycling bin for your school, what features would it have to encourage everyone to recycle more?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: The two main contexts for recycling discussed are "Recycling at Home" and "Recycling on the Go."
• Socio-cultural Analysis: The text suggests that recycling practices vary based on location by stating, "Each city/town and private waste collection companies have their own rules for recycling."
• Thematic Analysis: The text implies personal responsibility in recycling by advising to research local guidelines and properly sort recyclables, indicating that effective recycling requires individual action and awareness.

Reduce and Reuse First, Then Recycle

While recycling is great, try to reduce the amount of materials that you use. Use less paper, aluminum foil, plastic bags, etc. You can even bring reusable shopping bags to the store!

Also, try reusing what you have before recycling it. Reuse those plastic bags for dog waste bags if you have a dog that you walk. You can turn glass jars into flower vases. Print your school projects on both sides of paper. Together, we can make a difference!

1. Main points:

• The text emphasizes the importance of reducing and reusing materials in addition to recycling, suggesting practical ways to lessen waste like using less paper and plastic, and reusing items like plastic bags and glass jars.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are the three key environmental practices mentioned in the text?
• Socio-cultural Analysis: How does the text encourage personal involvement in environmental preservation?
• Thematic Analysis: What does the text suggest about the relationship between individual actions and environmental impact?

3. Further Discussion:

• Can you think of other creative ways to reuse items in your home instead of throwing them away?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: The text mentions "reduce," "reuse," and "recycling" as key environmental practices.
• Socio-cultural Analysis: The text encourages personal involvement in environmental preservation by suggesting practical actions like using reusable bags and printing on both sides of paper.
• Thematic Analysis: The text suggests that individual actions, such as reducing usage of materials and reusing items, significantly contribute to environmental impact, emphasizing "Together, we can make a difference!"

Lesson Summary

With a little bit of research on your curbside collection guidelines, you can easily include recycling into your daily routine. Whether you have single-stream recycling or you need to sort the materials, don’t forget to clean your recyclables before placing them into the receptacles. Also, reduce and reuse before you recycle!