Warm-up Exercise

Who can tell me what this symbol represents?

Focus Exercise

Who can tell me what this symbol means?

What does it mean to recycle?

Introduction /New Material

Three great ways YOU can eliminate waste and protect your environment!

REDUCE

Reduce: to make something smaller or use less, resulting in a smaller amount.

You can practice reduction by selecting products that do not have to be added to landfills or the waste stream in general.

Reduce

Buy and use less of things- Buy only what you need; use ALL of what you buy

Make smart package selections; LESS is better

Precycle by purchasing products in recyclable containers or that are packaged with recycled materials

Reduce

Think BIG. Always buy in bulk and use reusable containers

ALWAYS use reusable shopping bags and NEVER plastic or paper bags

Use durable items instead of disposable items such as: diapers, glass containers, cloth napkins verses paper, etc.

Reduce

Say NO to junk mail. Call toll free numbers to remove your address from unwanted catalogs.

Pay bills and order items online verses through the mail.

Plant a garden- Food you grow yourself does not have to be processed and no fossil fuels are needed to preserve the food

REUSE

Reuse: to use something again, often for a different purpose

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!”

Here are some examples of reuse.

Reuse

Take along washable cups and mugs and don’t use disposables

When using disposables, DON’T throw them away. Wash and reuse. This includes items like, zip-lock bags, plastic utensils, shoeboxes for storage, etc.

Repair instead of buying new. Items such as bicycles, appliances, cars, etc.

Reuse

Donate unwanted items to Goodwill or the Salvation Army for someone else to use.

Shred unwanted paper documents. This is used as shipping packaging and other recycled materials.

Use cloth or paper gift bags that can be used over and over instead of boxes and gift wrap.

Reuse

Use cloth napkins and hand towels in the kitchen in place of paper napkins and paper towels

New Baby in the house? Use cloth diapers instead of disposables

RECYCLE

Recycle: When something is saved and taken to places where the items are remade into the same product again or into a new product.

Just about everything in your home or at school can be reused or recycled into something else!

Recycle

DON’T THROW AWAY ANYTHING THAT CAN BE RECYCLED.

Always recycle…

Recycle

BatteriesAluminumCansAppliancesBuildingMaterialsCardboardChemicalsElectronics

Glass; jars & bottles

LeadMagazinesMetalNewspapersOilPaintPaper

Plastic BagsPlastic BottlesPackagingSteel CansTiresWood Copy PaperYard Waste

What is Waste?

Anything discarded, rejected, surplused, abandoned or otherwise released into the environment in a manner (or quality) that could have an impact on the environment.

What happens to garbage once it is collect?

Garbage is carried off to landfills where trash is buried underground.

Decomposition

Decomposition: to break down organic matter from a complex to a simpler form, mainly through the action of fungi and bacteria, or be broken down in this way.

How long does trash last in a landfill?

Let’s see how well you know your trash!

DecompositionHow long do the following items last in

a landfill?

Banana Peel ___Paper Bag ___Cotton Rag ___Wool sock ___Cigarette Butt ___Leather Boot ___

Tin Can ___Aluminum Can ___Plastic 6-pack ring

___Styrofoam Cup ___Glass Bottle ___

Guided Exercise

DecompositionLandfill Waste

Banana Peel - 3 to 4 weeksPaper Bag - 1 month

Cotton Rag – 5 monthsWool sock - 1 year

Cigarette Butt - 2 to 5 yearsLeather Boot - 40 to 50 years

Tin Can - 80 to 100 yearsAluminum Can - 200 to 500 years

Plastic 6-pack ring - 1 million yearsStyrofoam Cup - Forever

Glass Bottle - Forever

How do you rate?Let’s take a look at your lunch

Small Group Exercise

Rate a Lunch Bag(Student Handout)

You will need: 1 bag lunch from home and a pencilFollow the steps below to decide how "energy-

efficient" your lunch packaging is:

1. Take out the contents of your lunch bag and put it on the desk.

2. Record the number of items that you find in your lunch by typing the number in the box:

___reusable lunch box ___paper ___reusable thermos ___wax paper ___single-serving container ___plastic wrap or

baggie ___reusable plastic container ___aluminum foil ___plastic straw ___cellophane

Rate a Lunch Bag(Student Handout)

3. Do you throw all these items away every day?

4. How could you use less packaging so you make less garbage?

5. How many items in your lunch bag are recyclable, non-reusable, and reusable?

6. Write a list of 3 things you can do at home to cut down on garbage.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RECYCLE?

What are some ways we can recycle at school and at home?

Wrap-up on Smart Board

WHAT CAN I DO?

Let’s see how these second graders plan on doing their part.

Closure Video

Click on Symbol

Recycling as Art

Recycled Art: Crafted from used plastic bags imprinted with familiar logos and slogans, beauty is created in the form of these mandalas by Texas artist, Virginia Fleck.

Art Extension

Recycling Extensions

Recycled Art: Plastic bottle cap furniture by French artist, Isa Diague.

Your Recycled Art!

Recycled Art Project: Recycled pencil holder for your desk.

Pencil Holder Project

Materials used:Tin soup canPlastic bags from various stores,Magazine and Catalog pages (bright colors)School GlueDecoupagePaint BrushesWaterCups

Pencil Holder Project

Directions for Art Project:

Cut or tear pieces of colorful paper from

magazines and catalogs

Cut pieces of plastic from shopping bags

Include words and graphics too

Glue paper on tin cup

Let dry

Paint decoupage over pencil holder to seal paper

Homework Assignment

• Each student is to write (see following handout) your idea/ideas about how a tin can be reused.

• Please use sheet provided and illustrate your object.

• The recycling idea pages will be laminated and

assembled to put in the library under “recycling.”

Homework Extension

Homework Extension