Instructor : Rebecca Heick Recycling Matters Anita Acquah, (M.P.H) Walden University PUBH 6165-1 Instructor : Rebecca Heick Winter, 2010 Hello, my name is Anita Acquah. I am at a student at Walden University and pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health. Today, I going to share with you a very important and fun presentation about recycling and why recycling matters.

Recycling Recycling Matters. Matters

Objectives Define waste Items that are considered waste Define recycling Importance of Recycling Things that can be recycled The Recycle cycle The 3 R’s Helpful Hints to recycling in your area Where to find local help. Today we are going to learn all about waste, recycling, how to help keep our environment safe, and how to get help with recycling in our community.

The BIG Picture !!! Our planet is made up of more than 6.5 billion people who live here on earth, including you! And together we all have a part in taking care of the planet. You have to join the world in the fight to save and keep the earth safe from waste! The earth is our home and we live in it together with people all around the world. It is our duty to protect the earth and our environment to make sure that it is clean and safe for us to live in. Just like we wash our hands so we don’t get germs and get sick, we need to take care of the earth to prevent pollution. We all need to get involved by helping each other understand how to reduce waste. Wilcox,C. (2008) Recycling. Learner Publication Co.Minneapolis. MN

What exactly is Waste? Waste is simply, anything discarded, rejected, abandoned, or otherwise released into the environment in a manner (or quantity) that could have an impact on the environment. Waste includes all the trash and garbage from the food we eat to all the things we don’t want to use anymore and throw away. Can you think of anything that you might have thrown away that might have been a waste? Maybe old toys, old clothes or maybe even your toothbrush? They are all considered waste. National Institute of environmental Health Sciences. 2009.Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Retrieved January 22, 2010 from http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.htm

Possible Waste Items Items that can be considered waste include milk cartons, soda cans, plastic bottles, wood and even car tires. They can pollute the environment if they are not properly disposed.

What is Recycling? Recycling is the processing of used or waste material so that it can be used again, instead of being wasted. What do we do with all the waste and unwanted items that we throw away? Leaving it out in the open can invite pests, spread disease and smell bad. Recycling is one way in which we can make these materials into new things we can use again. Wilcox, C. (2008) Recycling. Minneapolis. MN. Learner Publication Company. National Institute of environmental Health Sciences. 2009.Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Retrieved January 22, 2010 from http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.htm

Why Recycle? Save natural resources Reduce pollution and waste Preserve forest woodland Betterment of eco-system Mcvicke, D. (1994). Easy Recycling Handbook. Gilbert, Arizona. Grassroots Books. The waste we create has to be carefully controlled to be sure that it does not harm our environment and our health. We use recycling as a means to reduce pollution of the environment with waste. This way we can reduce the strain we put on our natural resources like trees from our forests and prevent them from becoming scarce and in the process protecting our environment. It is time to take less from the environment and give back to it to nourish it as we go along so that we can leave a healthy foundation for future generations.

Example (Paper) All PAPER materials come from trees . Trees are cut down and made into many different things like Paper Paper towels Magazines Cardboards Books Paper plates and cups and many more! A good example of natural resources are trees. Not only do they provide food and home for animals, but they are used for a variety of things we use everyday including paper. Riley, T. (2007) The complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living. NY,NY. Penguin Group USA.

Wasted Trees If we don’t recycle paper materials, we could be wasting a lot of trees that are cut down and then turned into waste. Have you wondered what will happen to our trees if we do not recycle items like paper? This is what will happen! Our forests will all be used up, resulting in what is called deforestation and there will be trash everywhere. Riley, T. (2007) The complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living. NY,NY. Penguin Group USA.

Collection Processing Sale Manufacturing Reuse The Recycling Circle Have you ever wondered what happens to the recyclable materials and garbage after they are collected for recycling? It goes through a process called the recycle circle. The first step is collection, where people take recyclable items to collection centers. The next step is processing, where recyclable items go to a recycling center for sorting and processing. Here, workers and machines shred, chop or wash these materials and press each type of material into bales or bundles. The third step is selling the bales to manufacturers or business that make things. The forth step is manufacturing. Here, manufactures use the materials to make new products like clothes and paper. The final step is reuse;, where people buy products from recycled materials. Wilcox, C. (2008) Recycling.. Minneapolis. MN. Learner Publication Company.

PAPER MATERIALS PLASTICS ALUMINUM GLASS Things To Recycle Virtually everything can be recycled but basic things to recycle include paper materials like cardboard, plastics, aluminum and glass. Other items include tires, paint, acid batteries and even wood. Ask an adult to help you with sorting out these materials especially glass. Stefoff, R. (1991). Recycling. Philadelphia, PA. Chelsea House Publishers.

The 3 R'S REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE 1. Reduce : To make something smaller or use less, resulting in a smaller amount of waste. If you buy one large bag of potato chips instead of five small bags, you REDUCE waste! You can help by learning about and PRACTICING the three R's of waste management: Reduce, reuse, and recycle! Practicing all three of these activities every day is not only important for a healthy environment, but it can also be fun too. Reducing means to make something smaller or using less of something. National Institute of environmental Health Sciences. 2009.Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Retrieved January 22, 2010 from http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.htm Mcvicke, D. (1994). Easy Recycling Handbook. Gilbert, Arizona. Grassroots Books.

:To use something again for the same purpose or a new purpose. The 3 R'S REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE 2. Reuse :To use something again for the same purpose or a new purpose. You can give old toys to needy children instead of throwing them away! The second R is reuse. This simply means to use something again for the same purpose or for a new thing. Giving away things you do not want to people who need them a great way to avoid waste. Mcvicke, D. (1994). Easy Recycling Handbook. Gilbert, Arizona. Grassroots Books. National Institute of environmental Health Sciences. 2009.Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Retrieved January 22, 2010 from http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.htm

The 3 R'S REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE 3. Recycle : To collect used materials to make into new products rather than throwing them away. The third R is to take reusable materials to places where they can be remade into either the same product or new products to avoid waste. Many items found in your house can be RECYCLED into valuable new products. Mcvicke, D. (1994). Easy Recycling Handbook. Gilbert, Arizona. Grassroots Books. National Institute of environmental Health Sciences. 2009.Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Retrieved January 22, 2010 from http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.htm

How you can Help! You can help by first using the 3 R’s –Reduce-Reuse-Recycle! Ask your parents or an adult to help you collect recyclable items. Remember the recycling symbol and buy items with the symbol. Join other kids in your neighborhood and collect recyclable items together. There are a lot of things you can do to help reduce waste and conserve the natural resources in our environment. Follow these steps and you will be on your way to becoming an active recycler and environmentally conscious. Mcvicke, D. (1994). Easy Recycling Handbook. Gilbert, Arizona. Grassroots Books.

Things To Remember Waste affects you and everyone around you! Work together to save the earth from harmful waste! The Recycling Circle (Collection,Processing,Sale,Manufacturing,Reuse) Reduce materials, Reuse materials, Recycle materials. GET STARTED!!! Today we have learned a lot of things about recycling. It is very important to remember that the earth is our home and we must do everything possible to keep it safe. Recycling is one of the best ways to reduce waste and achieve this aim.

Your Local Help! The Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention (DRLP). Ohio. Website: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling EPA, Office of Pollution Prevention. Website: http://www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/oppmain.html Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance. Website: http://www.epa.state.oh.us/defa/Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention. Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio Recycling Program. http://www.swaco.org/ Ohio Department of Education. Website: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/ To help you get started locally, you can visit the following websites for information on recycling information, collections times and areas, items being collected for recycling and even how to start such a project in your school, home and community.

More Info and Activites http://www.epa.gov/kids/garbage.htm http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/education/kids/planetprotectors/index.htm http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/ http://www.kidsrecycle.org/index.php http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/color.htm#later Wilcox, C. (2008) Recycling. Minneapolis. MN. Learner Publication Company. Riley, T. (2007) The complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living. NY,NY. Penguin Group USA. Mcvicke, D. (1994). Easy Recycling Handbook. Gilbert, Arizona. Grassroots Books. To gain more insight about recycling, here is a list of suggested websites with activities and books to help you become an active recycler. I hope this presentation has provided you with all the information that you will need to understand the concept of recycling and how you can contribute to a safe earth.

References EPA Environmental Kids Club. (2009). Garbage and Recycling. Retrieved January 22, 2010 from http://www.epa.gov/kids/garbage.html National Institute of environmental Health Sciences. (2009).Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Retrieved January 22, 2010 from http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.html Mcvicke, D. (1994). Easy Recycling Handbook. Gilbert, Arizona. Grassroots Books. Riley, T. (2007) The complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living. NY,NY. Penguin Group USA. Stefoff, R. (1991). Recycling. Philadelphia, PA. Chelsea House Publishers. Wilcox, C. (2008) Recycling. Minneapolis. MN. Learner Publication Company.