RecyclingLesson #7

Learning Objectives

1. To establish an understanding of recycling, what can be recycled and what recycled products can be used for.

2. To establish an understanding of the importance of reducing landfill waste.

3. To learn how to make paper – reuse of a recyclable product.

Think, Pair, Share

What do you think recycling is?

Group Activity

Discuss as a group what or where you haverecycled before.

What is Recycling?Recycling = the conversion of a product that hasoriginally served its purpose into a new useablematerial or resource.Recycling involves:• The collection of waste materials through collection or

drop-off centres.• Sorting of the materials at a Materials Recovery Facility.• Processing of these materials into a form that can

substitute for a new product.• Manufacturers use these materials to make new and

useful products.

Recycling Symbol

• This is the most common recycling symbol and it can be found on most recyclable products.

• It is Australia’s universal recycling symbol.• Anything that has this symbol on it can be

recycled in some way or form.

How much waste is generated in Australia?

• 43, 777, 000 tonnes of waste were generated in Australia in 2006 – 2007.

• 32, 400, 000 tonnes of waste were generated in Australia in 2002 – 2003.

• That is a 35% increase of waste generated in Australia.• If waste generation grows at 4.5% per annum, Australia

will generate 81, 072, 593 tonnes of waste in 2020 – 2021.– 52% of the waste (42, 157, 748 tonnes) will be recycled– 48% of the waste (39, 914, 845 tonnes) will be sent to landfill

What do we do next?

Recycle and reuse more items instead of putting them in the rubbish bin and sending them to

landfill!

This is why recycling is soooo important!

What Can Be Recycled?

• Plastics• Aluminium and Steel• Glass• Cardboard and Paper• Cartons

Plastics

• Plastics labelled 1, 2, and 3 can be recycled, however in some areas some recycling programs now include those labelled 4 – 7 (this needs to be checked with local councils).

Facts about Plastics• Plastics are the most common rubbish item

found on Clean Up Australia Day 2012.• Plastic accounted for 38% (roughly 6,211

tonnes) of the rubbish collected on Clean Up Australia Day 2012.

• The energy saved by recycling one plastic drink bottle will power a computer for 25 minutes.

Plastics

What can recycled plastics be used for?

• Wheelie Bins• Outdoor Furniture• Mud Flaps• Bags• Pipes• Soft Drink Bottles• Milk Cartons

Plastics

Aluminium and Steel• Drink Cans can be recycled.• Aluminium canned foods can be recycled.• Aluminium foil can be recycled.• Aluminium aerosols can be recycled (the can

has to be empty and sprayer removed).• All types of steel can be recycled.• Aluminium and steel is such a broad category

that it is hard to name them all.

Facts about Aluminium and Steel• Metals accounted for 16% (roughly 2,615

tonnes) of the rubbish collected on Clean Up Australia Day 2012.

• Less energy is required to rework recycled steel and aluminium than to produce origincal material.

Aluminium and Steel

What can recycled aluminium and steel be used for?

• Bikes• Paper Clips• New Beverage Cans• Pie Pans• License Plate Frames• Aluminium Foil

Aluminium and Steel

Glass

• Clear, green or brown (amber) bottles can be recycled.– Including wine, beer, juice, soft drink and sauce

bottles.• Glass jars can be recycled – such as those from

jams and spreads.

Facts about Glass• Glass accounted for 13% (roughly 2,125 tonnes) of

the rubbish collected on Clean Up Australia Day 2012.

• Recycling glass saves 74% of the energy it takes to make glass from raw materials.

• Glass can be recycled forever. The same glass can be recycled a million times to produce bottles and jars of the same quality.– However… tiny amounts of some materials mixed with

the glass can cause contamination. It is important to know what types of glass can and can’t be recycled!

Glass

What can recycled glass be used for?

• New glass bottles and containers• Glass jars• Decorative tiles• Landscaping material

Glass

Cardboard and Paper

• Cardboard boxes• Newspapers, magazines and brochures• Photocopy paper and wrappers• Computer printouts• Envelopes• Manilla folders• Phone books

Facts about Cardboard and Paper• Paper accounted for 11% (roughly 1,798

tonnes) of the rubbish collected on Clean Up Australia Day 2012.

• Each tonne of paper that is recycled saves:– Almost 13 trees– 2.5 barrels of oil– 4,100kWh of electricity– 4 cubic metres of landfill– 31,780 litres of water.

Cardboard and Paper

What can recycled cardboard and paper be used for?

• Packaging• Toilet paper• Paper towel• Egg cartons

Cardboard and Paper

What Cannot Be Recycled

• Certain types of plastic• Certain types of glass• Certain types of cardboard

and paper• Food scraps

• Plastic bags, bin liners and cling wrap.– These plastics can get stuck in the sorting equipment in

recycling factories causing the machines to stop or break.

• Polystyrene foam is not recyclable– This includes the spongy black foam trays that meat is

often packaged in at supermarkets.– It also includes some takeaway containers and hot drink

cups• Disposable nappies• Syringes

Plastics

• Ceramics – such as pyrex• Oven-proof glass• China• Light globes• Mirrors• Window glass and windscreen glass• Medical or laboratory glass• White opaque bottles

Glass

Cardboard and Paper

• Carbon and self-carbonised paper• Facial tissues and paper towels• Sticky tape and adhesive labels• Tissue paper• Wax or plastic coated boxed or paper• Thermal fax paper

Useful Recycling Sources• Clean Up Australia

www.cleanup.org.au• Veolia

www.veolia.com.au• Visy Recycling Australia

www.visy.com.au• Planet Ark

www.planetark.org• Living Greener

www.livinggreener.gov.au

Worksheet

Complete ‘Recycling Activities’ Document

Paper Making!!!

ReferencesAustralian Government: Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. (2013). Plastics.

Canberra. Retrieved from http://www.livinggreener.gov.au/waste/plastics Australian Government: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

(2010). National Waste Report 2010. Canberra. Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy/publications/national-waste-report.html

Benefits-of-Recycling. (2013). What is Recycling. Retrieved April 6, 2013 from

http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/whatisrecycling/ Clean Up Australia. (2009). Glass Recycling Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 6, 2013 from

http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Factsheets/recycling-waste.html Clean Up Australia. (2009). Paper and Cardboard Recycling Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 6, 2013

from http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Factsheets/recycling-waste.html Clean Up Australia. (2009). Plastic Recycling Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 6, 2013 from

http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Factsheets/recycling-waste.html

Clean Up Australia. (2009). Steel and Aluminium Recycling Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 6, 2013 from http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Factsheets/recycling-waste.html

Clean Up Australia. (2012). 2012 Rubbish Report: National. Retrieved April 6, 2013 from

http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Media/rubbish-report-media-releases.html Planet Ark. (2009). What is Recycling? Retrieved April 6, 2013 from

http://www.recyclingnearyou.com.au/education/what-is-recycling.cfm Waste Management: Think Green. (n.d.). What Can Be Recycled. Retrieved April 6, 2013 from

http://www.thinkgreen.com/recycle-what-detail?sec=metals&prod=aluminum-cans Visy. (n.d.). Household Recycling. Retrieved April 6, 2013 from

http://www.visy.com.au/recycling/household-recycling/

References