Recycling

Recycling is an excellent way of saving energy and conserving the environment. Did you know that: 1 recycled tin can would save enough energy to power a television for 3 hours? Did you also know that 70% less energy is required to recycle paper compared with making it from raw materials?

Let’s look at the many great ways you can help by joining the recycling revolution!

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RECYCLE

Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to make another product. The internationally recognized symbol for recycling includes three arrows moving in a triangle. Each arrow represents a different part of the recycling process, from collection to re-manufacture to resale.

Recycling is a simple way that you, as a consumer, can help out the environment by transforming waste materials into useable resources. Recycling reduces landfill and provides a way to manage solid waste while reducing pollution, conserving energy, creating jobs and building more competitive, manufacturing industries.

How can you RECYCLE?

To start recycling you should first call your local council to find out what recycling facilities are available in your area.

Things to RECYCLE.

The usual items include all glass jars and bottles, aluminium and steel cans, PET plastic soft drink bottles and HDPE plastic milk and detergent bottles. It may also be possible to include paper, light cardboard, newspapers and 'junk' mail, milk and fruit juice cartons.

What is Kerbside collection?

This involves placing your recyclables out on the footpath for collection on a set day like a normal garbage collection. Your council will provide you with a bin or recycling container.

What is a Community drop-off centre?

This involves storing your recyclables at home or work and then taking them to the drop-off centre. Remember to take your boxes and bags back with you from the drop-off centre to prevent litter, and do not mix any non-recyclables with the recyclables.

Did you Know?

About one-third of an average dump is made up of packaging material!

Americans throw out about 270 million tyres every year. That’s a full set of tyres for over 50 million cars!

Recycling one aluminium can requires only 5% of the energy used to make it from scratch.

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What Goes Around Comes Around.

Help save the planet while shopping. Aim for less packaging. The ‘3 R’s of Waste Minimisation’ are:

REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE.

Packaging is important, as it prevents waste caused by food spoiling. But do we really need every serve to be individually wrapped? Try to avoid products that have excessive or unnecessary packaging. Make sure the products you buy have recyclable packaging that can be recycled in your area. Wherever possible, choose items that come in cans, boxes or jars that can be recycled once you’ve used them.

Think about the waste that will be generated as a result of you buying that item and choose products that come with recyclable packaging.

BUY RIGHT & BUY RECYCLED

Food cans, glass bottles, some soft drink bottles, aluminium cans and some cardboard boxes are made from recycled materials and are often recyclable after use.

It’s up to YOU!

If everyone on the continent of Australia recycled their newspaper every day, it would save almost 2 Million trees per year.

www.recycling-revolution.com

The choice to reduce, reuse and recycle is a responsibility shared by everyone. We have one Earth, so let’s work as a team to keep our planet healthy.

QUIZ 12: RECYCLING

One of the greatest challenges we share today is managing our resources for the future. Recycling demonstrates our ability to utilise our environment with consideration of the many generations to come and the countless other species we share this Earth with. It’s time for the next quiz! Remember, most of the answers can be found in the previous section but some questions may require you to dig deeper. So, consider the internet, go to the library or ask a friend. The future depends on you. Go get’em tiger!

1.Why is recycling good for the planet?

2. List 5 things that you know that can be recycled.

3. How long will an aluminum can last if discarded thoughtlessly?

4. How much waste in the average dump is made up of packaging?

5. Before you start recycling in your community what is a practical step to take first?

6. What are the 3 R's of waste minimization?

7. What recycling program exists at your school and how can it be improved?

8. What can you do to reduce the amount of packaging that comes with many products?

9. How many trees would be saved per year if everyone on the continent of Australia recycled their newspapers everyday?

10. Is there anything on Earth that can't be recycled?

11.Wouldn't this world be amazing if there was no such thing as rubbish and everything was recycled?

12. What do you think society would have to do to achieve this?

QUICK QUIZ

How to Play: Connect the Questions

to One of the 3 Answers provided:

Questions:

I am heat energy from inside the Earth?

I heat underground rocks and water?

Sometimes I am buried too deep to use?

I am clean energy?

Answers:

WIND - TOY - GEOTHERMAL

Questions:

I make plants grow and I give you light?

I make the wind blow and the rain fall?

Today, it costs a lot to harness my energy?

Photovoltaic cells can turn my energy into

electricity?

Answers:

SOLAR ENERGY - WATER - GEOTHERMAL