Category Recycling

Many people are quick to throw things away. They do not reuse things. Reusing means using old things in new ways.

In developing countries, people waste less. They are better at recycling materials. They often repair and reuse old equipment.

When people reuse or recycle, there is less waste. Less waste means less harm to nature.

This old freezer creates waste and can poison the air.

People in developed countries have money to spend on expensive goods such as cars or computers. We like to bud new things when the old ones break or go out of fashion. All this causes waste and pollution. Scrapped TVs, cookers, fridges and cars may give off chemicals which pollute the natural world.

 

 

 

People reuse the cardboard boxes that this man sells.

In poor communities, people often repair or reuse broken equipment, so less is wasted. Some people sort through rubbish heaps for bottles, tins, plastic, bricks and cardboard that can be sold for recycling. Wood and metal sheets are reused to build shacks.

 

 

 

 

Packaging can make products look nice but it causes waste.

In the United Kingdom, a lot of our rubbish is packaging. This is the paper, card and cellophane used to wrap products or to keep foods fresh. Colourful packaging also helps to sell products. But when we get home, most of this packaging is just thrown away, which is a waste.

 

 

 

 

Some packets have lots of layers!

Next time you visit a supermarket, examine the layers of packaging used on different foods.

Are all the lagers really necessary? Individually wrapped foods are fun, but use a lot of extra packaging. They use up valuable materials, such as paper and plastic, which cost money.

Picture Credit : Google

Rubbish is often solid, like an old can or box. But waste from a power station or factory can also be a liquid or a gas.

Some of this waste is dangerous. It harms nature if people do not clear it up properly.

Cars and homes also produce harmful gases by burning fuel.

Power stations produce waste gases.

Power stations release waste gases as they burn fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, to provide us with electricity. This energy is supplied to our homes, schools and factories to run machines. So, every time we switch on the computer or TV, we are helping to create waste.

 

 

Some factories empty liquid waste into rivers.

When factories make goods such as soap, medicine or paint, they may also produce poisonous chemicals as a waste product. Waste liquids sometimes leak into lakes and rivers, where they harm plants and wildlife such as fish and birds.

 

 

 

These workers’ clothes protect them from toxic (poison) waste.

Some factories produce toxic waste. This is very dangerous and contains chemicals that are harmful to all living things, including people. Toxic waste cannot be released into the air, soil or water.

Toxic waste and nuclear waste from power stations must be stored in sealed containers. This waste is buried under the ground, but it can still cause problems if it leaks out. It can be harmful for hundreds of years.

 

 

Batteries contain poisonous metals or acid.

Batteries contain metals and acids that can poison the environment. Most batteries usually end up in a hazardous waste landfill.

However, they can be recycled. Some towns collect batteries as part of a recycling programme.

One alternative is rechargeable batteries. They can be used many times and can also be recycled when they no longer work.

Picture Credit : Google

Some types of rubbish, such as fruit and vegetable peel, rot away quickly. We say they are biodegradable.

Metals like iron and steel rust. They break into smaller pieces over a long time.

Glass and plastic do not rot. In a landfill, they can stay under the ground for hundreds of years.

Dead animals and plants are food for other living things.

In nature, everything is recycled. Nothing is wasted. Dead plants and animals provide food for living things such as worms, fungi and ting bacteria.

The nutrients (minerals) in rotting plants and animals return to the soil. Here, they help other plants to grow. We sag they fertilise the soil.

 

 

Manure helps crops to grow but it can pollute (dirty) rivers.

Many farmers spread animal manure (dung) and plant waste on their fields to fertilise the soil, so their crops grow well. But too much natural waste can cause pollution. If thick, liquid manure, called slurry, gets into ponds and rivers, it can harm water life.

 

 

 

 

Metal wires and plastics do not rot. They can poison the soil.

Paper, card, cotton, leather and wool are all made from plants or animals. These natural materials rot away. Materials such as metal and plastic do not rot. They remain in a landfill for years and may cause pollution.

 

 

 

 

 

Look for minibeasts that feed on waste.

Lift logs and fallen leaves to find the minibeasts that lurk there. Worms, slugs, insects, woodlice and millipedes all feed on plant or animal remains.

These minibeasts help natural waste to decompose (rot). Other minibeasts, such as spiders and centipedes, feed on the decomposers. Always put the log or leaves back gently when you have finished looking at the minibeasts.

Picture Credit : Google

 

Each week, refuse trucks pick up rubbish from our homes and take it to landfills. Landfills are huge holes in the ground. Refuse trucks tip the rubbish into the hole. Then bulldozers bury the rubbish.

People do not like living near landfills. So some towns burn their waste. They use giant ovens called incinerators.

Refuse trucks collect your rubbish.

In many countries, a refuse truck visits once a week to collect waste. The collectors empty dustbins onto the truck, where the rubbish is squashed so more fits in. The full truck then drives to the landfill site.

 

 

 

The trucks tip the waste into landfills.

Many landfill sites are old quarries. The trucks dump their load, and then bulldozers pack the rubbish down and cover it with soil to prevent it blowing away. Modern landfills have a plastic liner to stop poisonous chemicals from leaking into the soil.

 

 

 

 

This golf course was a landfill. A layer of soil covers the rubbish.

Landfill sites are an easy way to get rid of lots of rubbish, though they are often smell and look ugly. Once a landfill is full, a thick layer of soil is added. The landfill may then become a park or golf course. It may be hard to see that a landfill was ever there!

 

 

An incinerator burns rubbish to make energy.

Paper, plastic and other rubbish give off heat energy when burned. The heat is used to boil water to produce steam. This steam is used to generate electricity. However, incinerators can create poisonous gases that pollute the air.

Rubbish rotting in landfills gives off a gas called methane. This can be burned as fuel. Pipes set into the landfill draw off the methane gas, which flows along a pipe to a power station.

Picture Credit : Google

Every day, we all throw things away — wrappers, bottles, empty cans and waste paper. This rubbish creates a lot of waste. It spoils our surroundings and can harm wildlife.

We don’t have to throw rubbish away. We can recycle it. This means using old things to make new things.

Look how messy litter is!

Our rubbish is collected every week. We forget about it. But rubbish does not just go away. Someone has to deal with it. If you just put your rubbish into a bath it would fill 100 baths every year!

Sometimes, people leave rubbish lying around. This is called litter. Litter spoils the look of the countryside, as well as towns. When litter piles up, it can also smell terrible. Just sniff your dustbin!

 

 

 

Waste can harm wildlife.

Shops, hospitals, farms, factories and power stations all produce different kinds of waste. Some of this waste is poisonous and harmful to wildlife. If waste pollutes (dirties) a beach, it can take years to make it clean again.

 

 

 

 

More people in the world means more waste.

When there were fewer people, waste did not matter so much. Now, big towns and cities are found in most parts of the world. The large numbers of people living everywhere produce lots of waste.

 

 

 

 

 

Look in your dustbin.

The type of rubbish we throw away has changed over the years. About 70 years ago, most of the waste in the bin was ash and dust from coal fires that were used to heat houses. That is how “dust” bins got their name!

A lot of rubbish today is packaging. Many products are wrapped up or put in boxes. Once we take out the product, we throw away the packaging.

Introduction

Waste is anything we no longer have use for. When we throw something away, we create waste.

Activities such as cooking or washing also create waste. Yet, we can recycle waste. Recycling means making waste into something new.

A canoe made from old glass!

You might be surprised what rubbish can be turned into. The glass from bottles and jars can be turned into a material called fibreglass. This mix of strong glue and thin strips of glass can be used to make canoes and boats.

 

We can all learn how to recycle.

How we can turn our rubbish into useful products. However, recycling is just one way to deal with waste. Remember these three words: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

• Try to reduce, or cut down, the amount of waste you produce.

• Reuse items, such as glass and plastic jars or bottles, when you can find a use for them.

• If you cannot reuse something, then recycle it.

 

The rubbish we throw away contains materials we can use again.

At recycling centres, we can separate our rubbish into different materials. Factories can use these materials to make all kinds of new products.

When we recycle, we do not have to bury or burn our waste.

This is a recycling centre. A woman is bringing her old glass bottles.

Many recycling centres have a different container for each type of material:

• Glass bottles (green, brown or clear glass)

• Newspapers and magazines

• Textiles (old clothes)

• Cans

• Cardboard

• Plastic bottles and bags

You can prepare cans, bottles and other containers for recycling by washing them out and removing the tops and labels.

 

 

 

Some families sort their rubbish for recycling.

Some local councils have set up recycling schemes, so people don’t have to visit recycling centres. Families may put all items that can be recycled in a separate bin. This is taken away by the council to recycle.

 

 

 

 

 

Look out for this symbol. It reminds you to recycle.

As well as recycling, it is good to try to reuse things. Reusing everyday items, such as plastic bags and containers, helps to cut down on waste. Old electrical equipment, such as TV sets, can be repaired and used again.

Building materials, such as tiles, bricks and even doors and windows, are sometimes saved and reused to build new houses.