What Can We Do? Reduce/Reuse/Recycle

List some of the things that are thrown away in your classroom and at home

*Home/School Waste Diary Questionnaire

How could we make use of them?

Note: There may be more than one use for some of them

Everyone can help solve our waste problem by:

• Reducing the amount of waste produced
• Reusing products and containers
• Recycling cans, bottles, papers etc
• Buying products made from recycled materials

Note: The Mobius loop logo indicates that a product may be recycled and an ’x’in the symbol indicates the percentage recycled content

Reduce

Much of the waste we throw away each day was not needed in the first place!  So much we buy is heavily packaged to make it look appealing.  We can all minimise waste by:

• Photocopying and printing less and always double siding it
• Choosing products with little or no packaging
• Buying refillable bottles or packets
• Buying in bulk – one large packet makes less waste than lots of little ones!
• Reducing junk mail by contacting the Mailing Preference Service at www.mpsonline.org.uk
• Bringing your own bags to the shops
• Not buying disposable items e.g. tissues, plastic cutlery, paper plates etc
• Using rechargeable batteries

Activity– Can you think of any more ways to minimise your waste?

• Carry out a Packaging Audit  *Step-by-Step Guide to carrying out your audit
• What could have been reduced in your bin?

Reuse

Stop!  Don’t waste things, reuse them!

• Open envelopes carefully, cover the old address and reuse them
• Reuse jam jars as flower vases, paint pots or even put home made jam or preserves in them
• Doorstep delivered milk and juice bottles can be rinsed and returned
• Reuse old shirts as painting overalls
• Wash and dry cans carefully. Cut pictures/shapes from old cards and wrapping paper, glue them onto the outside of the can to make a decorative holder for pens
• Give old toys and books to charity shops or hospitals for others to enjoy
• Donate old clothes to charity shops
• Outgrown school uniform can be reused by others

Activities

• Create a work of Art out of waste
• Write and then act out a Play about waste
• Can you think of any other ways to reuse waste?

Recycle

Recycling means gathering up waste of the same type and turning it back into raw materials that can be used to make something new.

You are really important in making recycling successful. You can make sure you do not throw away things that can be recycled such as:

• Glass bottles and jars
• Plastic containers
• Newspapers and magazines
• Old clothes and textiles
• Garden clippings, tea bags and fruit and vegetable waste

There are different ways of collecting waste for recycling but they all have one thing in common:  the waste needs to be separated into different types.

• Bottle banks
• Local Authority Recycling or Civic Amenity Sites
• Kerbside collections

Find out more about how and where these waste types can be recycled.