1. Recycling ReduceReuseRecycle

3. Turning one products useful parts into another productWhat is recycling?

4. In the Western world, approximately 50 percent of the trash in landfills could be recycled

6. Americans use 4 million plastic bottles every hour

7. Around 200 B.C. the Chinese used fishing nets to create the world’s very first piece of recycled paper

8. 75% of a tree harvested for paper does not end up as a paper product

10. To contain objects so they can be transported safely

11. To describe and identify the contents so that customers know what they are buying

12. To protect the contents so that when they arrive, they are not damagedWhat is Packaging?

14. Look for packaging made from recycled material

15. Buy products that are packaged in a way that best suits how they are going to be used so that you don’t use more packaging then necessaryWays you can reduce packaging

16. Glass Plastics Metal Paper Aluminum What can be recycled?

17. Plastic bottles are picked up from curbside recycling bins The bottles are taken away to be sorted and crushed into big blocks The bottles are then taken to a factory where they are crushed into small flakes The flakes are washed and dried and then melted and made into new bottles How is plastic recycled?

18. Glass is collected from curbsides or drop-off points Glass is transported to recycling plant where metal caps and plastic sleeves are removed The glass is then crushed into small pieces and transported to the glass factory At the glass factory it is mixed with sand, limestone and soda ash and melted in a large furnace The hot glass is molded into new bottles How is glass recycled?

20. At the paper mill conveyer belts feed the paper into giant pulpers

21. Water and chemicals are mixed with the paper to remove ink and contaminants and turn the old paper into pulp

22. The pulp is then placed between two wire meshes and left to dry where it becomes new paper

24. Cans are sorted and squashed together in large bales

25. The bales are shredded into small pieces and cleaned and are then melted down into large blocks of aluminum

26. The large blocks are rolled like pastry into very thin sheets

27. New cans are then made out of these thin sheetsAluminum can recycling

28. What is the problem with most school lunches? Most of our trash comes from food packaging Many lunch items come in single-serving disposable containers A lot of kids bring lunch in disposable bags

29. Disposable lunch Sandwiches sealed in bags Disposable juice boxes, milk cartons, and water bottles Paper napkins Paper or plastic bag to hold lunch Pre-packaged yogurts, granola bars, and fruits Reusable lunch Sandwiches and fruits packaged in reusable containers Cloth napkins Reusable drink containers Reusable lunch boxes Waste Free lunch

30. Worms break-down stuff like dead plants and decaying animals and create valuable nutrients for fertile soil If we didn’t have worms, every plant and animal that fell on the ground would remain as trash Worms break-down all of this refuge that becomes rich soil for new seedlings Worms are nature’s recyclers

31. Worms can eat our food waste and turn it into nutrient rich soil

32. What can you do in your home and at school to reduce unnecessary waste?