recycle right.
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Grades K-4
Tutorial 4. Complete the Recycling Circle
Objective: Find recycled content products in your home and make a list of recycled products your household can buy.
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With all you have learned about recycling, you are now an expert! You know why recycling is so important. And, hopefully, you’ve even set up recycle bins in your house to make sure you recycle every bit possible. Do you know what happens after you place your color-coded bins in front of your home?
Once each week, three trucks from Oceanside’s waste hauler, Waste Management, come to your neighborhood to collect your gray, blue, and green bins. That’s right, a different truck comes to collect each kind of waste. And, each type of waste goes on a different journey.
Let’s take a closer look at what happens to the recyclables in the blue bin. |
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The truck goes to a huge building called the Materials Recovery Facility, or MRF (pronounced “merf”). All of the plastic containers, glass bottles, boxes and soda cans are scooped up by a big tractor and placed on large moving bands called conveyor belts.
The long conveyor belts carry the recyclables to areas where they are sorted. They use special machines to separate the plastics, glass, paper, and aluminum cans. As materials speed past on the conveyor belts, Waste Management employees take out any materials that don’t belong. When the machines are finished sorting, each type of material goes on a separate journey before it is made into something else. |
Plastics
Plastics are delivered to a facility where they are washed, shred into pieces about the size of cornflakes, then melted. The melted plastic is formed into tiny pellets called nurdles.
The pellets get sent to another facility where they are used to make new plastic products, like plastic bottles and plastic bags.
Plastics are delivered to a facility where they are washed, shred into pieces about the size of cornflakes, then melted. The melted plastic is formed into tiny pellets called nurdles.
The pellets get sent to another facility where they are used to make new plastic products, like plastic bottles and plastic bags.
Paper and Cardboard
Paper and cardboard are delivered to a facility called a paper mill. The paper is cleaned and mixed with water to create a thick mixture called a slurry. The slurry is then dried out and rolled into new paper.
Most newspapers are made out of 100% recycled paper!
Paper and cardboard are delivered to a facility called a paper mill. The paper is cleaned and mixed with water to create a thick mixture called a slurry. The slurry is then dried out and rolled into new paper.
Most newspapers are made out of 100% recycled paper!
Aluminum Cans
Did you know that soda cans are made out of a metal called aluminum? The recycled cans are delivered to the aluminum recycling facility, and then they are shred up into tiny pieces and melted into a liquid. The liquid is poured into large molds and then cooled off. The end product is giant aluminum blocks that gets made into cans once again.
Did you know that soda cans are made out of a metal called aluminum? The recycled cans are delivered to the aluminum recycling facility, and then they are shred up into tiny pieces and melted into a liquid. The liquid is poured into large molds and then cooled off. The end product is giant aluminum blocks that gets made into cans once again.
Glass
Recycled glass bottles and containers go to the glass recycling facility where they are crushed into tiny pieces and then sold to companies that make glass.
The crushed glass is melted into a liquid. Did you know that glass could melt into a liquid? The liquid glass is poured into molds to make new glass containers, like jars and bottles.
Recycled glass bottles and containers go to the glass recycling facility where they are crushed into tiny pieces and then sold to companies that make glass.
The crushed glass is melted into a liquid. Did you know that glass could melt into a liquid? The liquid glass is poured into molds to make new glass containers, like jars and bottles.
A Full Circle Journey
In order for these recyclable materials to finish their journey as new products, they must be bought. It’s up to you and your family to buy products that are made from recycled materials. As you can see, the journey starts and ends with you.
In order for these recyclable materials to finish their journey as new products, they must be bought. It’s up to you and your family to buy products that are made from recycled materials. As you can see, the journey starts and ends with you.
Tutorial Challenge
- Interview an adult in your household and ask if there are any materials in your home made of recycled materials.
- Make a list of recycled products that you and your family can buy. Some examples of common products made with recycled materials are paper, clothing, and plastic containers.
