ABCs of Recycling and Conservation By: Kristen Johnson

A is for A merica Recycles Day America Recycles Day is November 15 th ! On this day, we all work together to help the planet.

B is for Bottles Lots of Bottles are recyclable. If we take off their tops, they can go in the recycling bin too!

C is for Composting To C ompost means to let certain materials degrade naturally outside, instead of in the trash. Things like C antelope and C abbage can be C omposted.

D is for reDuce ReDucing human waste is one of the main dreams of people who recycle!

E is for Environment Environment is the space around you. When we recycle, it helps to keep our Environment clean!

F is for Fabric Bags F abric Bags are fabulous as reusable bags! They can replace plastic bags that get forgotten and thrown away!

G is for Go Green! ‘Go Green’ means to make your life more ‘nature friendly’.

H is for Hazardous Materials Hazardous materials are things that are bad for us, and the environment. They might hurt you if you touch them.

I is for Illegal Dumping When we throw away trash in places we should not, its called Illegal Dumping. This is bad for the Earth because trash doesn’t get disposed of properly, and because animals could get hurt by the trash.

J is for Junk Mail Junk Mail is things you get in the mail that you don’t want. A lot of Junk Mail is recyclable!

K is for Kids! Kids are key to keeping recycling on course! Kids can recycle their trash and convince their parents to keep recycling too!

L is for Litter Litter is another word for Trash. The word Litter is written on lots of signs.

M is for Metal There are many types of metal that may be recycled. They can get melted down and reused.

N is for nature Nature is just one of the things that benefit from recycling and conservation.

O is for Off When you leave a room, make sure to turn Off the lights. When you aren’t using the water, turn Off the faucet.

P is for Paper Paper is one of the most commonly recycled products!

Q is for Questions Ask yourself ‘Can this be recycled?’ before you throw something away

R is for Recycle Recycle means to cycle through again, and to put a material through a second ‘cycle’ of use.

S is for Solar Energy Solar Energy is energy that comes from the Sun! We can use this energy to power many things like houses and cars.

T is for Textiles ‘Textiles’ are things made of fabric like clothes, sheets, rugs, belts, shoes, and furniture. Textiles can be reused through GoodWill, or recycled into something new.

ReUse means to put something old in a new purpose, or to recycle it so it can be made into something new!

V is for Volunteer Volunteer means to give your time for free to help. Picking up trash or teaching people about recycling are just two ways to volunteer and there are lots more.

W is for Water Water is something you might not think can be recycled, but the earth reuses it all the time, and so do We!

Xylology is the study of trees, which are important to save because they help give us air to breathe. X is for Xylology

Y is for Yard Waste Yard waste is grass clippings, pine straw, branches and other things out of your yard that you want taken away.

Z is for Zoo Animals’ habitats are threatened by waste, when we recycle, it helps save their homes.

Connections to Content Standards NC Standard Course: 5 th Grade Science: Competency Goal 1: The learner will conduct investigations to build an understanding of the interdependence of plants and animals Objective 1.6: Explain and evaluate some ways that humans affect ecosystems Habitat reduction due to development Pollutants Increased nutrients. NC Extended Content Standards: 9 th - 12 th Grade Earth/Environmental Science Competency Goal 2, Extended Standard: Identify appropriate uses of natural resources. Economic uses Conservation/stewardship Environmental Impact Observe and investigate the results of geological processes (what are rocks and why are they here) Earthquakes as a result of tectonic movement Maps