Reduce Reuse Recycle – For Real!

Supplementary Activities

Reincarnation Imagination Station

Tools: 10-15 empty (and clean) recyclables (plastic, aluminum, paper, cardboard—No glass in this activity for safety reasons, please! There can be more than one of the same item, but try to have a wide variety of recyclable items), chalk and chalkboard or big paper and marker, and prizes (optional).

Directions: Divide your group of kids into two or more teams. Pile all the recyclables on the floor between the two teams. Flip a coin to determine which team goes first, then alternate turns between the teams. A child from the first team selects a recyclable item from the pile and earns a point for his team for each correct statement from the following list:

“Today this is a _____________ [fill in the blank with “soda can, water bottle, newspaper, magazine, cereal box,” etc.]”.

“It is made of ____________ [fill in the blank with plastic, aluminum, cardboard, or paper].”

If the item is already made of recycled materials, the child can earn another point by saying something like, “It is made of recycled materials and in the past it might have been a _________________ [fill in the blank with the name of another item made of the same material].”

“If I recycle it instead of throwing it in the trash, it could be made into ____________ [fill in the blank with the name of another item made of the same material, for example aluminum cans are recycled into fans, pans, appliances, furniture, and bicycles! See “Resources” below for more info.].”

When there are no more items in the pile, the team with the most points wins.

Environmental Quiz Bowl 

Time: 20 minutes (+10 minutes for preparation)

Materials: Note Cards, Marker, Tape, and “prizes” (optional)

Description: Before you meet with your youth, you will need to prepare some materials. In this game there will be 4 categories with 5 questions ranging in point values from 100 to 500 in increments of 100. (Think Jeopardy, only you do not need to answer in the form of a question). The categories are Abbreviations, Word Nerds, Goods, Numbers, and the questions in each category become harder as the point values increase. Below is a list of recommended questions and answers for each category, but feel free to replace them with your own questions where you see fit. (You can use these as a starting point to make your Quiz Bowl easier or more difficult!) Write the categories on 4 cards and tape them to the wall. Next make 4 cards of each point value, writing the number on the blank side of the card. Write the question and acceptable answers on the lined side and tape the cards under their respective categories in ascending order from top to bottom.

When your youth arrive, have them sit facing the wall and divide them into two or three groups. Give each group a few minutes to come up with a sound related to nature or pollution as their buzzer (thunder boom, car engine, running water, birds chirping, etc). At this point, explain the point system and that the questions get harder as the point value goes higher. Then start the game with a kick-off question. The first team to buzz-in and correctly answer the kick-off question takes control of the board and picks the first category and point value. It is up to your judgment whether or not to have a prize for the winning team.

Kick-Off Question
Q: Can Styrofoam be recycled?

A: Yes! Check the item for the recycle symbol (a triangle of arrows). Not all curbside recycling accepts Styrofoam, but many do!

Abbreviations
Q: True or False. “HDPE” stands for “High-Density Paper Envelope.”
A: False. It stands for “high-density polyethylene” and is what most milk jugs and yogurt containers are made of. For information about the 7 groups of plastics, their uses and differences, visit www.wikipedia.com (100 points)

Q: True of False. “HHW” stands for “Household Hazardous Waste.”
A: True. HHW is any material discarded from a home that is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic and that could therefore threaten human or animal health and the environment when improperly discarded. (200 points)

Q: What does “EPA” stand for?
A: To learn more about recycling and protecting your environment through the “Environmental Protection Agency,” visit www.epa.gov. (300 points)

Q: What does MSW stand for?
A: Municipal Solid Waste, which is comprised of everyday items such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, batteries, etc. (400 points)

Q: “ABOP” refers to the names of four household items that are hazardous to the environment. Name these four items.
A: Antifreeze, Batteries, Oil, Paint. They should be disposed of at an ABOP facility. (500 points)

Word Nerds
Q: True or False. “Pollution” means contamination of air, water, or soil with substances that are good for nature.
 A: False. (100 points)

Q: What is a landfill?
A: A landfill is a facility where Municipal Solid Waste is placed in a series of compacted layers and covered daily with soil. (200 points)

Q: What is “potable” water?

A: Potable water is water that is naturally drinkable or that has been treated to a level sufficient to meet federal drinking water standards as well as state and local water quality standards and is designated safe for human consumption. (300 points)

Q: What does “biodegradable” mean?

 A: “Biodegradable” materials are organic materials such as food scraps, paper, and grass clippings that are capable of being broken down by microorganisms into simple compounds such as carbon dioxide, water, or minerals. (400 points)

Q: Give three examples of electronic waste, also known as “e-waste”…
A: Computers, monitors, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, televisions, radios, audio and video cassette recorders, compact disk and DVD players, cell phones, etc. (500 points)

Goods
Q: True or False. It is possible to recycle a Christmas tree.

A: True. Christmas trees are made into wood chips for mulch, compost material, and other products. (100 points)

Q: True or False. The primary component of paper is cloth.
A: False. While some paper may contain cloth, its primary component is pulp from wood. (200 points)

Q: How can you tell if an item is recyclable?
A: The recycle symbol (a triangle of arrows) will be on the item. (300 points)

Q: What is the main component in plastic?
A: Petroleum (400 points)

Q: What easily recycled material is generally NOT accepted in curbside recycle bins? Why?
A: Glass. It breaks easily in the handling and sorting process and poses a danger to workers. Glass-only bins are readily available at recycling drop-off centers. (500 points)

Numbers
Q: True or False. Aluminum is a metallic element that makes up 7% of the Earth’s crust.
A: True. (100 points)

Q: True of False: It takes 50% less energy to recycle aluminum than to create new aluminum from bauxite ore.

A: False. It actually takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than to create new aluminum from bauxite ore. (200 points)

Q: What percentage of material in landfills in the United States is made up of paper?
A: More than 40% (300 points)

Q: How many times can the same wood fibers in paper be recycled?
A: The same wood fibers can be recycled 5 to 7 times before they become too short and “worn out” to be made into paper again. (400 points)

Q: True or False. A grand total of approximately 43,000 tons of recyclables and 112,000 tons of trash were collected in Nashville, Tennessee from July 2007 through March 2008.
A: True. (500 points)

(created from information at www.epa.gov,  www.lessismore.org, www.afandpa.org, and www.nashville.gov/recycle)