The Topic: Recycle - Reduce - Reuse Easier - Recycle means to process old, used items in order that the material can be used to make new products. Examples of things that are often recycled are glass, plastic, newspapers, aluminum cans, used motor oil, and batteries. Here, reduce refers to lessening the amount of items or resources that are consumed, using only the amount that is needed, and looking for alternatives that will lessen our use. And reuse means extending the 'life' or repurposing an item rather than discarding or throwing it away.   Harder - Recycling is the processes of collecting, processing, remanufacturing, and reusing materials instead of discarding them. This helps conserve raw materials and energy that manufacturers would otherwise use in producing new products. Recycling also reduces the amount of material going into landfills. Recycling helps lessen the pollution that may result from waste disposal. Reducing our consumption of materials and reducing the waste of materials also adds to the conservation of our resources.   Internet Consumer Recycling Guide http://www.obviously.com/recycle/ This recycling guide provides a starting point for consumers in the USA and Canada searching the net for recycling information. The goal is to help make recycling so easy and automatic that it blends into the flow of everyday life. Related Websites: 2) Consumer's Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/catbook/index.htm 3) Eco-Speak: A User’s Guide to the Language of Recycling http://environment.miningco.com/library/weekly/blcons4.htm 4) Trash Matcher from Imagination Factory http://www.kid-at-art.com/htdoc/matchtmp.html 5) Waste Book (Online guide) http://www.recycle.mcmail.com/ 6) Waste Facts from Project Integra http://www.integra.org.uk/facts/main.html 7) World's Shortest Comprehensive Recycling Guide http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/shortest.html   Recycle City from the Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/ Learn how recycling reduces waste and saves money. Find out where all the garbage goes. Also play the 'Dumptown Game.' Related Websites: 2) Ollie Recycles http://www.ollierecycles.com/ 3) Roscoe's Recycle Room http://www.recycleroom.org/html/launch.html 4) Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle from the Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/reduce.htm#recycle 5) Solid Waste and Recycling from King County Kids Web http://www.metrokc.gov/dnr/kidsweb/solid_waste_main.htm 6) Quick Lesson in Recycling from Planet Pals http://www.planetpals.com/EDrecyclethings/recycle_lesson.html    Virtual Recycling from Manitoba Product Stewardship Corporation http://www.virtualrecycling.com/ This website provides recycling information and resources for teachers and students. Related Websites: 2) EcoRecyle Victoria (Australia) http://www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au/ 3) Pennsylvania's Recycling Page from the Department of Environmental Protection http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/Recycle.htm 4) Why Do We Recycle? from the City of Phoenix, Arizona http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/GARBAGE/whyrecyc.html   Waste Reduction Tips from Vermont Clean State Initiative http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/wastediv/csc/Waste.htm Here you find tips for reducing waste at home, at work, and everywhere else. Related Website: 2) Recycling Loop: Buying Recycled from GreenWorks (Download the video) http://www.greenworks.tv/wastemanagement/recycling_loop.htm   After visiting several of the websites on recycling, complete one or more of the following activities:   Print Out the Fun Book. Its has games to play and pictures to color. You can find it at The Recycle Cycle - Mobius Fun Book.   Play A Recycling Game. You have more that one to choose from - - pick and choose or try them all! 1) Clean Up the Park http://funbrain.familyeducation.com/cgi-bin/shtml.cgi?A1=../recycle/index.html 2) Dumptown Game http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/gameintro.htm 3) Quest of the Ring Leaders http://www.ringleader.com/quest/intro.html   Recycle Some Paper. To get some help with the procedures, visit sites like Papermaking, another 42eXplore project from eduScapes, How to Make Recycled Paper, and Papermaking. You may also find ideas for recycling other types of paper products at Recycled Paper Crafts.   Complete A Home Recycling Survey. You can find the forms at the following websites. 1) Home Toxics Survey (Grades 4-6) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel14.htm 2) Household Hazardous Product Survey (Grades 7-8) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel27.htm 3) Potential Home Hazards (Grades 9-12) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel38.htm 4) Recycling/Precycling Activity (Grades 7-8) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel28.htm 5) Recycling Survey (Grades 4-6) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel16.htm 6) Trash or Treasure (Grades 7-8) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel31.htm 7) Waste Reduction Survey http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/qz2.htm   Complete A Recycling WebQuest. Follow or adapt the procedures found at the following webQuest sites: 1) Paper or Plastic by M. Culp and P. Stohr-Hunt http://www.richmond.edu/academics/a&s/education/projects/webquests/paper/Paper1.htm 2) Recycling Plastics http://www.glencoe.com/sec/science/webquest/content/recycle.shtml 3) Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (Grades 1-3) by S. Dowell http://www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/admin/tlapages/recycle_quest.htm 4) To Recycle or Not to Recycle by D. DeFouw http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq81/   Print Out And Color Or Create A Recycling Poster. You can find it at Planet Pals. Or better yet, design and create your own original poster that promotes and/or educates about recycling. Display your completed project.   Take A Recycling Quiz. You have more than one online quiz to choose from or you can take all of them! 1) Aluminum Recycling (Grades 7-8) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel24.htm 2) Handling Hazardous Materials http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/qz3.htm 3) Recycling Economics (Grades 7-8) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel29.htm 4) Recycling Quiz http://environment.miningco.com/library/weekly/blquiz11.htm 5) Recycling Quiz from Environmental News Network http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/02/02232001/recyclingquiz_39571.asp 6) Reduce Through Reuse http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/qz1.htm 7) Supply and Demand Activity (Grades 7-9) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel30.htm 8) Trash Trivia Quiz (Grades 4-6) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornl22a.htm 9) Trash Trivia 2 (Grades 4-6) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornl22b.htm 10)Trash Trivia 3 (Grades 4-6) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornl22c.htm   Websites By Kids For Kids Recycle the World (1998 ThinkQuest Junior Project) http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/4054/index.html This web site teaches about recycling , how to recycle, and lists good books and web sites about recycling.   Re-use-Recycle en España (1999 ThinkQuest Internet Challenge) http://library.thinkquest.org/27913/ This site concentrates on three objectives: how to reuse, reduce, and recycle.   More Websites Related To Recycling America Recycles Day http://www.americarecyclesday.org/ This event day provides incentives to communities, large and small, to promote recycling in their community. Make the pledge to recycle, buy recycled products, and send a HenryCycle eCard on November 15. Not-To-Be-Missed Section: 2) Proven Success - Stories from Schools and Community Groups http://www.cancentral.com/success.htm   Anti-Recycling Myths by R.A. Denison and J.F. Ruston from Environmental Defense http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?ContentID=558&Page=1 Using 'Recycling is Garbage' as a case study, this paper examines the arguments made by the anti-recyclers, correcting factual errors and over-generalizations, offering additional data and perspective, and acknowledging the few kernels of truth in their arguments. Related Websites: 2) Five Most Dangerous Myths About Recycling from Institute for Local Self-Reliance http://www.grn.com/library/5myths.htm 3) Is Recycling a Waste? by Mark Fearer http://www.nexuspub.com/july97/recycle.htm 4) Recycling Is Garbage by J. Tierney http://www.nrdc.org/cities/recycling/recyc/appenda.asp 5) Talking Trash: Recycling is Under Attack by A. Horrigan and J. Motavalli from Environmental Magazine http://www.emagazine.com/march-april_1997/0397feat1.html 6) Too Good To Throw Away from Natural Resources Defense Council http://www.nrdc.org/cities/recycling/recyc/recyint.asp   Doing More At Work: Recycling Guide for Business from Greater Vancouver Regional District http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/services/garbage/workplace/RGB/Recycling%20Guide%20For%20Business.html This guide (pdf) helps to take a closer look at your recycling program, you can make it more efficient and cost-effective. Related Websites: 2) Industrial Waste - Ideal Fertilizer? from The Why Files http://whyfiles.org/063recycle/toxic.html 3) Recycling Programs in the Workplace http://environment.about.com/library/weekly/blrcy1.htm 4) Reducing Waste in the Workplace http://www.moea.state.mn.us/campaign/workplace/ 5) Smart Ideas on Recycling from The Why Files http://whyfiles.org/063recycle/good_idea.html 6) Workplace Recycling from Green Nature http://greennature.com/article.php?sid=11 7) Workplace Recycling Program http://www.carolina-regional.com/library/recycling.htm     Global Recycling Network http://grn.com/ This is a mega-site site dedicated to recycling-related information. Not-To-Be-Missed Section: 2) Recycling Educational Resources (Links-page) http://grn.com/library/educational.htm Other Global Recycling Websites: 3) European Recycling and the Environment http://www.tecweb.com/recycle/eurorec.htm 4) Recycler's World http://www.recycle.net/recycle/index.html    Recycling Position Paper by R. Grindel, C. Snover, and K. Hopkins http://grn.com/library/position.htm This 1997 article provides a general overview of recycling. Other Online Articles On Recycling: 2) Cultural Economies of Waste by G. Hawkins, University of New South Wales http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/projects/cep/knowledges/hawkins.html    Reducing Household Waste in Local Landfills by J.H. Lloyd from North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/bae/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/he379.html Learn about source reduction, one of many names for the idea of making responsible decisions that reduce the amount of household waste. Related Website: 2) Reusing Kitchen and Laundry Products - Home Tips http://environment.miningco.com/library/weekly/blrcy8.htm   Rotten Truth About Garbage from Association of Science-Technology Centers Inc. & Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service http://www.astc.org/exhibitions/rotten/rthome.htm This online exhibition takes an in-depth look at the complex issues surrounding municipal solid waste. Related Websites: 2) Recycling's Down in the Dumps by C.Welch from The Seattle Times http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134390788_recycle14m.html   Recycling Materials Automobile Recycling Alternatives: Why Not? http://www.npcr.org/reports/npcr1057/npcr1057.html This report addresses the current status of the automobile recycling industry, with a focus on the environmental and economic implications of developing technologies. Related Websites: 2) Automobile Recycling from Georgia Tech Research Institute http://www.srl.gatech.edu/education/Recycle/Overview.html 3) Car Recycling from Waste Watch http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/informtn/carrec.htm 4) Fiscal Incentive Aid Car Recycling from Massachusetts Institute of Technology http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/tt/1994/may04/36537.html 5) Myth of Automobile Battery Recycling by M. Cobbing and S. Divecha from Greenpeace http://www.things.org/~jym/greenpeace/myth-of-battery-recycling.html 6) Steel--Driving Automobile Recycling Success http://www.recycle-steel.org/cars/main.html   Battery Recycling http://www.batteryrecycling.com/ Demand for batteries in the U.S. is projected to increase 5.8% every year through 2002. In 1998 there were over 3 billion industrial and household batteries sold in the United States alone. This demand for batteries will continue. Related Websites: 2) Battery Council International http://www.batterycouncil.org/recycling.html 3) Battery Recycling from Waste Watch http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/informtn/batteries.htm 4) Recycle Your Rechargeable Batteries from Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation http://www.rbrc.org/   Can Central Recycling from Can Manufacturers Institute http://www.cancentral.com/environ4.htm Cans are the most-often recycled packaging in America. Here you learn about recycling of steel and aluminum cans. Related Websites: 2) Aluminum Can & Foil Recycling from Waste Watch http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/informtn/alumin.htm 3) Aluminum Can Recycling from Alupro http://www.alupro.org.uk/ 4) Aluminum Recycling from International Aluminum Institute http://www.world-aluminium.org/environment/recycling/ 5) Beverage Container Recycling: Reverse Vending Machines http://environment.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa091000.htm   Composting from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/compost.htm Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic materials, such as leaves, grass, and food scraps, by microorganisms. The result of this decomposition process is compost, a crumbly, earthy-smelling, soil-like material. Related Websites: 2) Backyard Composting from Earth 911 http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=lib&a=organics/composting/joy/comp_backyard.inc 3) Compost Resource Page http://www.oldgrowth.org/compost/ 4) Composting from EcoRecycle http://www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au/aboutus/infosheet_compost_a.asp 5) Composting and Earth Information Resources On The Web from Global Recycling Network http://grn.com/library/compost.htm 6) Composting as Part of a Family Recycling Program http://environment.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa121700.htm   How Is Paper Recycled? from Paper University http://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/earth_answers/Recycle1.htm Learn all about paper recycling and the environment. Related Websites on Paper Recycling: 2) Marketing Used Paper from The Why Files http://whyfiles.org/063recycle/paper2.html 3) Paper from Environmental Systems of America http://envirosystemsinc.com/paper.html 4) Paper Please http://www.afandpa.org/kids_educators/paper.cfm 5) Paper Recycling from Georgia-Pacific http://www.gp.com/EducationalinNature/topics/pr.html 6) Paper Recycling Trends in the United States http://environment.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa022397.htm 7) Paper Recycling: Success With Corrugated Boxes http://environment.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa021701a.htm 8) Paper Recycling's Realities at The Why Files http://whyfiles.org/063recycle/paper.html 9) Recycled Paper: Plenty Available - Now Let's Use It! by G. Gleason, S. Kinsella, & V. Mills http://www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/1059_Kinsellapaper%20reprint.pdf 10) Recycling from the Pulp & Paper Information Centre http://www.ppic.org.uk/htdocs/info/recycle/recycle.htm 11) Shopping for Recycled Paper http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/paper.htm 12) Treecycle Recycled Paper: Issues and Information http://treecycle.com/info.html 13) Why Recycle? from Paper University http://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/earth_answers/Whyrec1.htm   Paper or Plastic from the Film and Bag Federation http://www.plasticbag.com/environmental/pop.html Making a good choice for the environment is no longer as simple as knowing whether or not a product can be recycled. Recycling is just one of three very important factors to consider. See how plastic bags stack up in each of these areas: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Related Websites: 2) How is Plastic Recycled? by V. Carrillo http://crystal.biol.csufresno.edu:8080/projects97/92.html 3) Plastic from Environmental Systems of America http://envirosystemsinc.com/plastic.html 4) Plastics and Recycling from Plastics New Zealand Incorporated http://www.plastics.org.nz/environment/recycle.htm 5) Plastics Identification Guyide from Spokane Solid Waste http://www.solidwaste.org/reccodes.htm 6) Plastics Recycling from EcoRecycle http://www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au/aboutus/infosheet_plastic.asp 7) Plastics Recycling: A Consumer's Perspective http://environment.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa030898.htm 8) Plastics Resource from American Plastics Council http://www.plasticsresource.com/   Recycling from Glass Packaging Institute http://www.gpi.org/Recycling.html Ensuring a steady supply of recycled glass, or cullet, has become crucial to the industry's success because using recycled glass reduces energy consumption, raw materials use, and wear and tear on machinery. Related Websites: 2) British Glass http://www.recyclingglass.co.uk/ 3) Glass Recycling http://www.aim-irl.com/greenguide/glass.htm 4) Glass Recycling from Newton's Apple http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/newton/GlssRecycl.html 5) Glass Recycling http://www.britglass.co.uk/recycling/   Used Motor Oil Collection and Recycling from American Petroleum Institute http://www.recycleoil.org/ Motor oil doesn't wear out - it just gets dirty. Related Websites: 2) Collecting Used Oil for Recycling/Reuse from Pennzoil Company and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/cars/oilreuse/oilreuse.htm 3) Don't Be a Dipstick! Recycle Used Oil http://www.state.tn.us/environment/dca/oil.htm 4) Used Motor Oil Recycling from City of Chicago http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Environment/SolidWaste/UsedMotorOil.html   Websites For Teachers All Wrapped Up (Grades 4-6) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel13.htm Packaging accounts for 10-15% (and sometimes more than 50%) of the cost of a product and approximately 1/3 of what goes into a family's trash can. Related Activity: 2) Packaging Project (Grades 7-12) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/wisc2.htm   Aluminum Beverage Cans: The ABCs Environmental Education from Can Central http://www.cancentral.com/canc/nontext/toc.htm Here you find a guide for teachers that includes lesson plans, activities, and almost everything you will need for your unit on recycling.   Composting: A Great, Rotten Idea (Grades 7-9) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel25.htm When we mention "recycling," we often think of recycling glass bottles, aluminum cans, and newspaper. But another 30% of the household garbage we throw out also can be recycled.   Eco-Marketing Project from Landmarks for Schools http://www.landmark-project.com/eco-market/ Students working in teams of three or four, will develop ideas and appropriate prices for imaginative new products that they believe people of their age would buy and that contain at least 50% recycled materials.   Mini-landfills (Grades 4-6) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/wisc1.htm The goal of this exercise is to look at several typical household items, determine whether they are made of renewable or nonrenewable resources and observe what happens when they are placed in a landfill.   Paper Recycling (Grades 4-5) from Georgia-Pacific http://www.gp.com/EducationalinNature/teachers/pr.html Here you find a guide for study topics and discussion related to recycling paper.   Recycling Lesson Plan http://whyfiles.org/004antarctic/teacher4/recycling.html This lesson contains lots of discussion and activity ideas.   Plants From Trash (Grades K-3) http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/cornel10.htm Nature is the best recycler. Some plants even 'recycle' themselves. New plants can grow from plant seeds, and in some cases, from parts of plants.   Used Motor Oil Recycling from Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/enved/Rec_Lessons/motor.htm Student will gain an awareness that used motor oil is a resource to be recycled rather than discarded. They will be able to identify locations where used motor oil may be recycled.   Waste Game Show http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/seahome/housewaste/quiz/miss1.htm This exercise is two teams of one or more players and is played similar to the game show Jeopardy.    recycle repurpose garbage reuse junk sustainable resource dump hazardous waste contamination water waste renewable resource plastic junkyard solid waste glass landfill aluminum environment 'save a tree' Earth Day conservation Three R's cleanup paper worm reduce compost packaging trash recycled products used motor oil refuse collection large item disposal yard waste curbside recycling materials recycling facility waste reduction precycling scrap source reduction recycle symbol rubbish biodegradable incinerate emission decompose trash fly ash 'green' community litter energy resource recovery nonrenewable resource        Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 2/02.