1. The 3R’s

2. Rubbish domestic waste – all the rubbish which we produce
cardboard, plastic bags, leftover food, tin cans, etc.
biodegradable – things that have once been alive and will rot away quickly
vegetables, fruit, cardboard

3. Reduce
the best way to tackle the waste problem is to produce less waste (or reduce our waste)
what are some examples of how we can reduce our waste?
reusing and recycling are also examples of how we can reduce our waste

4. Reuse
instead of using something only once and then discarding it, try to get as much use out of objects before buying a new one
what would be an example of things we can reuse instead of throwing them away after one use?

5. Recycle
recycling means to make something new from something that has been used before

6. Industrial Waste
mining waste, toxic (poisonous) chemicals, and empty containers are examples of industrial waste.
Should companies that produce industrial waste apply the 3R’s in the same way we should at home?

7. Waste and Us
An average person throws away about 1 kg of solid waste each day. That means that is just one year, you create a pile of waste nearly 10 times as big as yourself!

8. Activity
In a group, discuss each of the materials or products listed below.
How can we reduce the amount we throw away?
How should they be disposed of when they are no longer needed?
Should they be reused, recycled, buried, burned, or disposed of in some other way?
glass bottles
clothing
old electrical appliances
aerosol cans
car batteries
plastic bottles
waste paper
refrigerators
engine oil
metal cans
food and garden waste
old furniture
old cars
car/tractor tires

9. What you have learned
Copy and complete these sentences using these key words (reused, biodegradable, composted, domestic waste, reduce, recycle):
The rubbish we throw away each day is called
. We must each try to the amount
of waste we produce. Vegetables and cardboard are
they rot away – these material can be
. Glass, cans, fabrics, and newspapers can
be ; the materials from which they are
made can be melted down, or processed in some
other way to make new products.

10. In-class Assignment
Why is it better for the environment to recycle old glass bottles than to make new ones?