1. A guide for kids like YOU! By Treonda S. Carter
Recycling is Fun!
A guide for kids like YOU! By
Treonda S. Carter
Hello everyone! Today I will be presenting to you an informational guide on recycling aimed at children. The purpose of this presentation is to educate children on the basics and importance of recycling. It is also aimed to encourage them to start their own recycling program as a learning outcome. I hope this is engaging for you and that you take interest in this project. Enjoy!
All Pictures in this presentation are courtesy of Microsoft Clip Organizer Microsoft Corporation.

2. Why Me You Ask?
You may not know it, but you can play a very big part in keeping the environment and our planet Earth clean and healthy. Recycling can make a better place to live for you, your family, friends, and pets! My name is Recycle Ron and I’m going to help you learn how you can help! Follow me to the next page to learn more!
You may not know it, but you can play a very big part in keeping the environment and our planet Earth clean and healthy! A clean planet means a better life everyone who lives on it. There is a special person named Recycle Ron who will help me explain to you what recycling is and what you can do to help. Recycle Ron is a recycling crusader who helps kids like you learn the importance of keeping our plant clean. You will find Recycle Ron on each slide. If you have any questions just raise your hand. Let’s get started!

3. What Is Recycling?
Recycling means taking materials from products you have finished using and making brand new products with them. For example, most of the aluminum cans in the United States are made with recycled aluminum. So if you drink juice or soda from a can, recycle that can instead of throwing it in the trash. That can will stay in the Recycling Loop and out of the landfill.
You’re probably wondering what it means to recycle. Recycling means taking materials from products that you have used and making new products from them. For example, you can take an empty soda can and recycle it instead of throwing it in the trash. After recycling, the material from that soda can is ready to be made into another can, filled with your favorite soda, and sold in stores. It’s just that simple!
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection

4. Why Should You Recycle?
The Earth is our home and it should be taken care of with respect. Without a clean Earth, we can’t survive. When we make new things from recycled ones it takes less money, less energy, and less of the Earth’s resources. Because less energy is used, factories don’t release as much pollution either.
Why should you recycle? You should recycle because Earth is our home and we must take care of it. Just as your parents give you chores to wash dishes or clean your room, keeping the planet clean should also be a required chore. I know having an extra chore doesn’t seem like fun, but trust me, this one is well worth it and will benefit you for years to come!
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection

5. Who Recycles?
Everyone can recycle! You can recycle at home and at school. Your friends, parents, other adults and kids all around the United States can also recycle.
Everyone can recycle! Your parents, grandparents, sisters and brothers, friends, and teachers can all recycle!

6. How Does Recycling Work?
Recycling starts with people separating recyclable materials from their other trash. The separated recyclable materials are collected by recycling programs, processed and then sold to manufacturers for use in new products
Recycling works by separating recyclable materials from the trash. Those recyclable materials are then taken to a recycle plant, processed and reused to make new things.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection

7. What Kind Of Things Can Be Recycled?
steel bottles
milk bottles plastic
aluminum cans steel cans
glass jars news paper
cardboard white paper
paper
Recycle Ron has identified for us several things that can be recycled. Most of these items we use everyday and are easily found like cardboard, plastic and milk bottles. Even your homework papers can be recycled. Just make sure that your parents see them first! 

8. Things That Can Be Made With Recycled Material
Cookie, cereal and cracker boxes
Pens and pencils
Bicycles
Tennis shoes
Clothes
Notebook paper
Carpet
Wallpaper
Many of those same items that can be recycled are turned into some of your favorite things. I bet you didn’t think that your clothes, shoes and bicycle could be made of recyclable materials did you? Well they can! So can pens, pencils, paper, carpet, wallpaper and cereal boxes. This is just a few of many more items that be made from recycling!
Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)

9. Interesting Facts About Recycling: Did You Know That???
The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. (Recycling-Revolution.com, 2009)
Every month Americans throw out enough glass bottles and jars to fill up a giant skyscraper (think: Empire State Building), but all of these jars are recyclable! (dosomething.org, 2009)
Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures a year! (dosomething.org, 2009)
If all of our newspapers were recycled, we could save about 250 million trees each year!(dosomething.org, 2009)
Here are some very interesting and fun facts about recycling. Did you know that the U.S. is the #1 trash producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per year? That’s a whole lot of trash!

10. More Cool Facts!
An estimated 80,000,000 Hershey's Kisses are wrapped each day, using enough aluminum foil to cover over 50 acres of space -- that's almost 40 football fields! All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it.(Recycling-Revolution.com, 2009)
A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year. That's a lot of containers -- make sure they're recycled! (Recycling-Revolution.com, 2009)
By a show of hands, how many of you like Hershey’s Kisses candy? Well, there are 80 million chocolate Hershey’s Kisses wrapped each day using aluminum foil. The amount of aluminum foil it takes to wrap all of that candy is almost the size of 40 football fields! That’s really amazing! So, think about that the next time you’re eating one and about to throw the wrapper in the trash. All of that foil can be used again so do the right thing and recycle it!

11. Ways You Can Reduce Trash
Only buy what you need
Buy products that are reusable, refillable or concentrated.
Buy products in bulk or larger containers rather than multiple small containers.
Use a sponge rather than disposable towels. 
Buy fresh fruits and vegetables without packaging.
Avoid products with excessive packaging.
Repair, rather than replace, broken items.
Donate unwanted materials to charity
Always try to reduce trash when you can. To do this, you can start by buying only what you need and not things that you don’t really have a use for. Also, you can repair rather than replace broken items. So instead of tossing a broken toy or video game in the trash, ask your parents or another adult if there’s a way to repair it instead of getting a new one. This will cut down on trash and in addition save your parents money.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection

12. Learn To Reuse
To reuse means to find another use for something instead of throwing it away. For example, you can decorate an old juice box and use it as a pencil or crayon holder. The possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination!
Learn to reuse. To reuse means to find another use for something instead of throwing it away. This is away for you to be creative and come up with fun and different ideas for items that you already have handy. One cool idea is to decorate an old juice box and use it as a pencil or crayon holder. Another idea you can think about is using an old shoe box as a picture keeper or small toy holder. Finding ways to reuse can be really fun. The possibilities are endless!

13. Make A Difference!
You can make a difference by starting your own recycling program in your community. You can set up recycle bins at home and in your classroom at school. It’s easy to do!
Starting your own recycling program is an excellent way to make a difference. Whether it’s at home or at school, it’s easy to do!

14. Getting Started
First you need to get two different bins, each a different color and labeled.
One bin will be used for: glass bottles and jars, Carton and drink boxes, plastic bottles, and metal and aluminum cans.
The second bin will be used mainly for paper such as: newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes, cardboard containers and boxes, school papers and much more!
The steps to starting your recycling program are simple. To get started all you need is two bins that are labeled and are of different colors. Identify the items you have collected to recycle and separate them into each bin.

15. On Your Mark, Get Set, RECYCLE!
After the bins are full, the items collected will be taken by an adult to a recycle plant where they are broken down so that new things can be made from them. That’s it!
Once the bins are full, the last step is to get an adult to take the collected items to a recycle plant .There those items are then broken down so that new things can be made from them. That’s it!

16. Go Green!
All that is left now is for you to spread the word at school, home and the community and you’re ready to be an Earth saver! Grow a “green thumb” and keep our plant clean!
Recycling is important so be sure to spread the word about how to keep our planet clean at school, home and your community. Grow a “green thumb” and become an Earth saver!

17. Remember…
Recycling can make the Earth a better place to live for all people and animals.
Anyone can recycle.
Reduce trash when possible.
Reuse items instead of throwing them away.
Recycle items are not reused and thrown away.
Spread the word to family and friends so they too can make a difference!
Here are some things to remember while you’re on your journey to becoming an Earth saver.

18. It’s Your Responsibility!
Keeping our planet clean and safe is up to everybody who lives on Earth. If we all take the time to reduce, reuse and recycle, we can make the world a better place. So, go for it! Protect our planet today and everyday!
It’s your responsibility along with everyone else who lives on Earth to keep the plant clean! The key is to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. So, go for it! Protect our planet today and everyday!

19. Want To Learn More About Recycling And How You Can Help?
With your parents approval and assistance read some of the fun books below or go to one of the websites below to learn more about recycling.
National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEH) Kids Pages
Kids Recycling Zone
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Kids Club
Green, J. (2005). Why Should I Recycle. Barron’s Educational Series.
Bethel, E. (2008). Michael Recycle. Worthwhile Books.
Want to learn more? Here is a list of websites and books that can teach you more about recycling and starting your own recycling program. Just be sure to get your parents approval and assistance first. Any questions?

20. References
Common Wealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Health. (2009). Just for Kids Recycling. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).(2009). Environmental Kids Club: Garbage and Recycling. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from
Do Something.Org.(2009). 11 Facts About Recycling. Retrieved November 5, from recycling
A Recycling Revolution.(2009). Recycling Facts. Retrieved November 5, from
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).(1998). Buy Recycled Products on ‘America Recycles Day’. Retrieved November 6, 2009 from 3fb69d/7bc5a4207f93ddd d6005e7d44!OpenDocument

21. THANK YOU!!
Myself and Recycle Ron would like to thank you for listening today. We hope you enjoyed learning about recycling!