Recycling Made Real
[20 Minutes]
Recycling means to take a material that will not decompose and reuse it. For example, plastic soda bottles can be recycled to make polyester fabric. Each day, every person in the United States creates about five pounds of trash. That’s a lot of waste in the world every day. Do this experiment and find out how much trash your family makes in a day.
You'll need:
• trash bag for each member of your family • paper and pencil • pen • masking tape
What to do:
- If possible, print out these directions. Read them through with your child before you begin.
- With your child, gather everything you’ll need.
- Together, using the masking tape and pen, label a trash bag for each member of your family.
- For one day, have each member of your family put their trash in their individual trash bags.
- At the end of the day, weigh your trash. Then sort your trash into decomposable items and recyclable items.
How to use:
- You and your child may wish to look up in the telephone book the number of your local “Recycling Coordinator.” If your town/city does not have that, look up “Department of Sanitation” or "Department of Public Works.” Write down the phone number.
- Call the appropriate number and ask to speak to someone about what items your city/town recycles. Using this list, check the items off as they are mentioned.
paper-newspapers, magazines
plastic containers-milk, juice, household
corrugated cardboard
steel-soup cans, aerosol cans
glass-jars, bottles
yard trimmings
tires
appliances
- As a family, decide what items you can start to recycle.
- Together, make a recycling plan--what to recycle, what to put the items in, where to put the containers for the items, when to take them to the recycling center.
- Start recycling. After a week or two, look at your containers.
Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.
- Did each person’s trash weigh 5 pounds? Did it weigh more than 5 pounds? Who had the most trash? Who had the least?
- How many items could be recycled?
- How many items can decompose?
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