Recycling Revolution:Taking Action in Your Community

1. Recycling Revolution:Taking Action in Your Community EDU 505 Multimedia and Internet for Education BY: Jessica Whitney and Bridget Callaghan

2. Introduction Have you ever wondered what happens to all of your old toys after they are thrown away? Or where Styrofoam cups or packing material ends up? Plastic from toys and other products can end up in oceans and lakes, hurting the animals that live there. Styrofoam can take up to 1,000 years to decompose! There are many other materials you throw away everyday that hurt the environment in one way or another. Is it your job to protect the environment and the future of your community? If you don’t take action, who will? It is your responsibility as a citizen to take care of the community you live in for future generations.

3. Task Your task is to become a local environmentalist. You will team  up with a partner to investigate one material that can potentially harm the environment. Then, you will be taking action. You will learn how and where to recycle that material and create a poster that will be shared with the class.

4. Process 1) First, you must break up into groups of two. Find a partner! 2) It’s time to get excited about the environment. Please watch this video. Keep in mind all of the materials that are being recycled and how you can help the environment by recycling in your community. Reduce the Harm: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

5. Process Continued • 3) Choose one recyclable item you would like to focus your research on: • ELECTRONICS • MOTOR OIL • STYROFOAM • PAPER • PLASTIC • ALUMINIM CANS • LIGHT BUBLS • GLASS • BATTERIES • TIRES 4) Search provided resources for your item and jot down information in your “Go Green” journal. There will be four things you should be looking for. a) 3 interesting facts about your item b) 3 reasons this item is harmful to the environment when not recycled c) 3 things you can to do to reduce, reuse, recycle your item (one example for each ) d) Investigate and list locations within 25 miles that you can recycle your item (using Earth911.com locator)

6. Process Continued 5) When you are finished a complete search and found all required information, you and your partner will be creating a poster to share your results. Your poster must be communicate all of the information found in your search and fully cover the four guidelines listed above. 6) When you have completed your poster you and your classmates will be reporting their findings and their posters to the rest of the class. They will be set up around the classroom on the due date and everyone will have a chance to walk around and see each poster.

7. Resources Here is a list of sources for you and your partner to help with your investigation. Look for your material and click away! • Recycle City http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/ • NIEHS Kids Pages http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.htm • Commonly Recycled Materials Information http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/common.html • Earth 911- Local recycling Resource http://earth911.com

8. Resources Continued • Aluminum Cans http://www.novelis.com/Recycle/EN/Educators/Educational+Materials/Recycling+Facts+and+Figures/ http://www.professorshouse.com/your-home/environmentally-friendly/recycling-aluminum-cans.aspx http://www.container-recycling.org/publications/trashedcans/sample.htm • Light Bulbs http://www.lamprecycle.org/ http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/wastetypes/universal/lamps/index.htm http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_natural_homemade/article/0,,diy_13767_5109788,00.html

9. Resources Continued • Glass http://www.conservation.ca.gov/dor/rre/kids/Pages/hdrc.aspx http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Glass.htm • Batteries http://earth911.com/hazardous/single-use-batteries/tips-on-recycling-single-use-batteries/ http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php

10. Resources Continued • Tires http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/envsrvs/solidwaste/pdf/recycle_Tires.pdf http://www.kriyayoga.com/how_to/tire-recycling/tire-recycling.html • Electronics http://tab.computer.org/ehsc/page2.htm http://www.recyclingforcharities.com/Environmental-Effects-of-E-Waste.php http://www.ec.gc.ca/envirozine/english/issues/33/feature1_e.cfm

11. Resources Continued • Motor Oil http://prose.eng.ua.edu/ed/studentguide.html http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/resources/oilspill.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040115074647.htm • Styrofoam (Polystyrene) http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html http://www.ufpt.com/moldedfiber.asp?gclid=CJrRwo39jJgCFQw9GgodzR0iDA http://www.teenink.com/Poetry/article.php?link=Past/2006/February/19888.xml http://www.ejnet.org/plastics/polystyrene/nader.html http://www.bcb.uwc.ac.za/envfacts/facts/ozone.htm

12. Resources Continued • Paper http://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/earth_answers/Recycle1.htm http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Paper http://www.designvitality.com/blog/2007/10/save-paper-and-trees-blog-action-day • Plastic http://www.ocean.udel.edu/mas/masnotes/plastic.html http://www.algalita.org/pdf/What-you-can-do.pdf http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/14/magazines/fortune/pluggedin_gunther_plastic.fortune/index.htm http://www.click4carbon.com/blog/2008/08/can-you-live-for-month-without-plastic.php

13. Evaluation Your project will be graded on the basis of the following rubric:

14. Conclusion Congratulations! You have completed the task and have done your part as a local environmentalist. While your task is complete, it is important that you keep up the good work, encourage others, and continue to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your community!

15. Sources: • All images taken from Google image search