Recycling in Allen
Sponsored by Keep Allen Beautiful
Lauri McIntosh Education Specialist
What is
recycling?
It’s part of the four R’s...
ReduceDon’t use more than you need.
ReuseClean it up and use it again.
RecycleTurn it into something else.
RebuyBuy new things made out of
recycled things.
Why should I recycle?
1.We don’t need to dig up lots of new metal
if we melt old metal.
2.We don’t need to find as much new oil
if we melt old plastic.
3.We don’t need to cut down as many trees if
we recycle old paper and
cardboard.
4.We don’t have to dump as much trash in the
landfill.
5. Recycling saves energy and water.
It takes lots of these to make new things in factories.
What can I recycle?
What can Allen kids recycle where they live?
Plastic
Metal
Paper and cardboard
Glass
PlasticLook for the number in the recycle symbol.
Recycle these plastic numbers…
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 7
Wait—what number did I miss?
6—If you live inside Allen, you can’t recycle 6 at your house.
These cups are number 6.(styrofoam)
Let’s take a test. Ready?
Number 1—Can you recycle this?
Yes!
Number 5—Can you recycle this?
Yes!
Number 4—Can you recycle this?
Yes!
Number 6—Can you recycle this?
No—not if you live inside Allen.
You did a good job on plastics! Now, let’s look at paper, metal, and glass.
Paper (and cardboard)
Can you recycle this paper and cardboard?
Yes!You can recycle lots of paper and cardboard: chipboard boxes, newspaper, school paper, and more!
Wait—can you recycle this paper and cardboard, too?
No.The sack has dog food grease on it.
The milk carton has wax on it.
Can you recycle a used pizza box?
No.It has pizza grease on it.
Metal
Aluminum Steel
Can you recycle these metals?
Yes!
You can recycle soda cans and food cans.
Wait—can you recycle these metals, too?
No. You can’t recycle pie plates
or aluminum foil
in Allen.
Can you recycle this glass?
Yes!
You can recycle jelly jars and sauce bottles.
Can you recycle this glass?
No.You can’t recycle dishes or drinking glasses.
Where do I recycle?
In Allen, you’ll put your recyclable things in a big blue cart if you live in a
house.
If you live in an apartment, you’ll put them in big green
bins.
From there, they ride in a truck to the Material
Recovery Facility (MRF) in Irving.
At the MRF, people and machines separate it into the different types of things you
can recycle.
The MRF makes big bales (blocks) of everything except glass and sends them to be
made into new things.Glass goes into a huge metal box for its trip to a glass recycler.
The MRF makes bales of paper…
Bales of plastic…
And bales of metal…
Have you ever seen a 1,200-pound bale of soda
cans?
I bet you can take one more test. Ready?
You’re doing great!
What is recycling?a. Riding your bike
again and again.
b. When you can’t use something anymore, turn it into something else.
What is one reason you should recycle things?a. Riding your bike a lot makes
you strong!
b. We don’t have to dump as much trash in a landfill.
How many of these things can you recycle in Allen?
a. Your plate
c. Your plastic water bottle with a #1 on it
b. Your dog
Thanks for learning about
recycling!