RECYCLING AND PRECYCLING ACTIVITY (Grade 7-8)

When we throw away garbage, it usually ends up in a landfill. Landfill space is becoming increasingly scarce, and every time we throw something away we throw with it the energy, the money, the raw materials, and the water it took to make it.

The average American throws away 4 pounds of garbage per day. In 1990, it is estimated that Americans will throw away over 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil, more than 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars, over 4 and a half million tons of office paper and nearly 10 million tons of newspaper. Almost all of this material could be recycled.

Recycling saves large amounts of energy. Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. Recycling one soda can saves as much energy as if the can were half full of gasoline. Recycling an aluminum can results in 85% less air pollution and 97% less water pollution than creating an aluminum can from raw materials.

When waste products are recycled, fewer raw materials must be used. Americans threw away 35 billion aluminum cans last year, enough aluminum to build an entire air fleet four times over. Recycling paper reduces the pressure on our forests for wood pulp, so that less logging is needed. Survey yourself and your family members to find out your attitudes towards recycling. Survey results should help you realize areas in which you could make greater recycling efforts.


HOME RECYCLING SURVEY

1. Put an X by the items that typically go into your garbage.

cans (aluminum and/or tin) glass bottles
paper aluminum foil
old clothing cardboard
disposable diapers plastic containers
newspapers grocery bags (paper or plastic)
egg cartons batteries
styrofoam (containers and packaging materials)

2. Which items (of those listed above) could be recycled - by you or someone else?

*
*
*

3. Does your town or city have a place to recycle any of these items?

Yes
No
I don't know

4. Where does your garbage go once it leaves your house?

*
*
*

5. What are the benefits and drawbacks of recycling to your family?

Benefits:
1.
2.
3.

Drawbacks:
1.
2.
3.

6. List five products that your family purchases which produce "instant garbage". They may come packaged in such a way that you throw away packaging as soon as you open them or they may be disposable so that you throw them away after using them only once or a few times. Can you think of any alternatives to these products?

Instant garbage:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Possible alternative:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

7. How does it help the environment to reuse things?

*
*
*

8. If you use batteries, how can you reduce the amount you use?

*
*
*


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