recycle right.
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Grades 5-7
Tutorial 4. Complete the Recycling Circle
Objective: Find recycled content products in your home and visit a store that sells recycled products.
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With all you have learned about recycling, you are practically an expert. You understand why recycling is so important. You know how to properly sort your waste and what might contaminate a batch of recycling. And, hopefully, you’ve even set up a system in your house to make sure you capture every bit of recyclable material. Do you ever wonder what happens after you place your color-coded bins in front of your house?
Once each week three Waste Management trucks drive to your neighborhood to collect all of your sorted waste; gray bin - landfill waste, blue bin - recyclables and green bin - green waste. That’s right, a different truck with a different driver comes to collect each type of the waste we create. And, each kind of waste goes on a different journey. Let’s take a closer look at what happens to blue bin recyclables.
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Sorting Mixed Recyclables
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With a full load, the Waste Management driver leaves your neighborhood and arrives at the Materials Recovery Facility, or the MRF (pronounced merf). The driver carefully backs into the building and empties the contents of the truck onto the floor. All of the plastic bottles, boxes and soda cans from their trip, including yours, are then scooped up by a tractor and placed on large conveyor belts.
The long conveyor belts weave through a maze of sorting stations where each type of recyclable is collected together with the help of state-of-the-art technology. These sophisticated machines have digital eyes to pick out different types of plastics or strong magnets that attract tin cans. Glass, paper and aluminum cans all pass through together and come out neatly separated. As materials speed past on the conveyor belts, Waste Management employees survey and take out any contamination by hand.
Once the recycling is properly sorted, each type of material is compressed into tight cubes, called bales, and then goes on a separate journey before reemerging as new products.
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Plastics
From the recycling plant, the plastic bales are shipped to facilities that break down the plastics into a form that can be used to make new plastic products. Many of these facilities are located outside of the United States and they travel to far away destinations by huge cargo ships.
From the recycling plant, the plastic bales are shipped to facilities that break down the plastics into a form that can be used to make new plastic products. Many of these facilities are located outside of the United States and they travel to far away destinations by huge cargo ships.
At the plastic recycling plant, the plastic is washed, ground up into cornflake-sized pieces, melted, and then formed into small pellets. From there, the pellets are sold to manufacturers and are ready to be made into new bottles, tools, carpets and clothing. To watch a video of a plastic bottle recycling plant in Southern California, visit the Resources page.
Paper and Cardboard
Paper and cardboard bales get shipped to paper recycling mills, where it is mixed with water and broken down into very small fibers, cleaned and then made into a thick paste called a slurry. The paste, or slurry, is spread out to dry, and finally put through machinery that flattens it and creates large rolls of new paper. Today, almost every newspaper you read is made from 100% recycled paper.
Paper and cardboard bales get shipped to paper recycling mills, where it is mixed with water and broken down into very small fibers, cleaned and then made into a thick paste called a slurry. The paste, or slurry, is spread out to dry, and finally put through machinery that flattens it and creates large rolls of new paper. Today, almost every newspaper you read is made from 100% recycled paper.
Aluminum
When aluminum bales arrive at the processing plant, they are shredded, melted down into a liquid, then poured into a mold and cooled. These large chunks of aluminum are then shipped to plants to become aluminum cans once again.
To watch how aluminum cans are recycled, visit the Resources page.
When aluminum bales arrive at the processing plant, they are shredded, melted down into a liquid, then poured into a mold and cooled. These large chunks of aluminum are then shipped to plants to become aluminum cans once again.
To watch how aluminum cans are recycled, visit the Resources page.
Glass
At the glass recycling plant, the glass is crushed into tiny bits called cullet. These tiny pieces are sold to glass manufacturers where it is turned into new glass products. To make new glass bottles and jars, additional ingredients, like sand, are added to the cullet and melted inside a furnace into a liquid. The liquid is then formed into new glass containers.
At the glass recycling plant, the glass is crushed into tiny bits called cullet. These tiny pieces are sold to glass manufacturers where it is turned into new glass products. To make new glass bottles and jars, additional ingredients, like sand, are added to the cullet and melted inside a furnace into a liquid. The liquid is then formed into new glass containers.
A Full Circle Journey
The entire recycling process starts with you! In order for these recyclable products to come full circle on their journey and become something new, everyone needs to do their part. Of course, this means placing your recyclables in the correct bins, but it also means making the decision to buy products that are made from or packaged in recycled materials when you shop.
You and your family are the ones making responsible and important decisions and taking actions to improve our environment.
The entire recycling process starts with you! In order for these recyclable products to come full circle on their journey and become something new, everyone needs to do their part. Of course, this means placing your recyclables in the correct bins, but it also means making the decision to buy products that are made from or packaged in recycled materials when you shop.
You and your family are the ones making responsible and important decisions and taking actions to improve our environment.
Tutorial Challenge
- Take a walk through all the rooms in your home and outside. Try to find items that are made with recycled materials. You might find recycled paper in your room or home office, or plastic furniture on your patio. Maybe read a few clothing labels or paper towel packages. How many items did you find that are made of recycled materials?
- Find a store located in Oceanside that specializes in selling products with recycled content. What store is it and what is their specialty product?
