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Recycling For Kids

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Welcome to Recycling For Kids in Squidoo!

Ready for some adventure? In this page we will try and find the answers to your questions about recycling. What is recycling? How does it help nature and society? What can kids do to help?

Recycling for kids is a misnomer actually, methinks. Below, we will find out that recycling is not just for kids, but for everyone who cares about the Earth and our environment. We'll explore the different ways you can recycle and help out in this effort. You ready?

Classroom stuff? Not really. We're gonna have some fun while learning.

Cool image in this module courtesy of the Washington State Department of Ecology Kids' Page.

What is Recycling?

Recycling is a process. It involves first, the collection of recyclable waste like paper, plastic, glass, etc. From the moment you place your trash in the proper recycling bin, the process of recycling starts. The next step is separation of the waste materials into different groups. This activity is done by trained recycling personnel in waste facilities across the country. The next step is processing of the material to produce a new raw material, like aluminum being melted again to purify the metal and return it to the production cycle. After this, comes the manufacturing of a brand new product from the recycled material, or the making of new aluminum cans from the melted material.

Did you know that it takes as fast as 60 days for recycled aluminum cans to be processed and the new cans displayed in the grocery shelf again?

You close this cycle by buying and using the new product, and when you deposit the can in the recyclable bin, the process starts again.

Image courtesy of Shropshire Council.gov.uk.

Why Is Recycling Important?

Recycling Helps Protect Our Environment

It takes much less energy and fuel in factories and vehicles to recycle than it is to produce a brand new material. The lesser energy consumed and the lesser fuel burned during the manufacturing process, the lesser harmful gases are emitted into our atmosphere. As you know, these "greenhouse" gases are what's causing the earth's surface atmosphere to warm up pretty fast, bringing devastating changes in our climates like melting ice caps and glaciers, severe storms, flooding, drought, and rising water levels worldwide.

Recycling Helps Conserve Resources

Resources, like oil (from which plastic is made), are limited. In a few years, the available supply of these materials will be exhausted if we don't learn to conserve these, by recycling and reusing our stuff.

Recycling Helps Free Us From Clutter

Our cities will soon be inundated by trash if we don't recycle. I'm sure you've seen the movie Wall-E showing how the earth in the distant future needs to be evacuated because of the mountains of garbage in our cities. Did you see how dreary and horrible an earth overrun by garbage looks like? It's something that can actually happen if we don't start to recycle or curb our "shopping" lifestyle.

Who Recycles?

Isn't this just for grown-ups?

Everyone recycles. It's not just an activity for parents, teachers, or grownups, it's for kids, too. If you care about the earth and our environment, no matter how old (or young) you are, you should recycle. As we can see above, recycling is extremely important to protect our world.

Kids can do a lot of good, recycling from home and in school. As you know, there are many adults who don't recycle when they should, simply because they don't know how important it is to do so. Kids who recycle are a great example to everyone to pitch in and contribute in this activity.

Image courtesy of the City of Calgary, Office of the Mayor.

Create Recycling Posters

Get creative with your message

Create your very own recycling or "zero waste" posters at home or in school. Posters serve to inspire yourself and others to continue recycling and highlight the importance of this activity towards environmental protection. Remember to keep it simple and focused on one message, but colorful and eye-catching.

Here's a prize-winning recycling poster.

More recycling posters here.

There's plenty of room in this lens for your creativity. Please send us your posters, the first name and age of the artist, and your state and we will publish it here. If we run out of space in this lens we will create another lens just for your posters, how does that sound?

Resources:

Waste Reduction and Recycling Posters and Stickers
Colorful posters and stickers (downloadable PDF format) to help coordinate and promote your waste reduction efforts from the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

Poster image courtesy of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Recycling Crafts

Creative reuse of old materials at home and in school

Here are some activities to get you started in creatively remaking and reusing ordinary materials at home into great-looking and useful new items:

Pulp Fiction: Make Recycled Paper

Make Sun Prints Using Leaves and Rocks

Create Beautiful Envelopes From Old Magazines

Make a Bird Feeder From Plastic Bottles

Make A Recycled Picture Frame From Old Cardboard

More activities and wonderful crafts to create in these pages:

Recycle Zone: Activity Zone

Recycle Works: Creative Reuse

Image courtesy of PA Clean Ways: Enviro-Crafts - more Recycling Crafts in this page, too.

Crayon Recycling

Do you just throw away those countless broken pieces of crayon? I certainly hope not. They're perfectly reusable and as the Moms show us in this video, recyclable, too. Here's a video showing how to recycle those broken, mismatched pieces of crayon in your study table. It's fun and a great way to help the environment. Watch.
Crayon Recycling {kids + eco friendly craft}
by WhatsHotForTots | video info

0 ratings | 15,508 views
curated content from YouTube

Making a Handbag Out of An Old Book

Here's another video showing one more cool stuff you can make from old materials in your house. This one is quite spiffy, turning an old book (just the covers, actually) into a sweet little handbag you can use, or if you're a dude, can give to your Mom or sister. This project is for older kids, adult supervision and help is definitely needed in handling the utility cutter and sewing machine.
How To Make a Handbag Out of a Recycled Book.
by CurblyVideos | video info

1,673 ratings | 473,587 views
curated content from YouTube

Composting for Kids

What is composting?

Composting is nature's way of recycling organic materials like leaves, grass, fruit peels, yard trimmings, etc. into a nutrient-rich soil called compost. Compost is crumbly, dark-brown colored, and can be used for planting and fertilizing plant beds.

Basically, the composting activity that you do at home or in school is known as backyard composting. Backyard composting works faster than natural composting since you can control all the elements and conditions (like temperature and humidity) in the compost heap, thus hastening the process of decomposing the organic material.

Resources:

Composting for Kids
This is an excellent slide presentation (downloadable PDF also available) about the importance of composting and detailing the entire process.

Gardening Projects for Kids

Composting with Kids
Here's a simple kids-friendly step-by-step instruction of the process of composting.

Recycle Zone: How To Set Up A School Compost Zone

Image used in this module courtesy of Robert E. (Skip) Richter, CEA-Horticulture, Travis County, Texas Agricultural Extension Service.

Cell Phone Recycling and Kids

We're all very proud of our kids in America. Kids in this country are getting increasingly involved in different recycling and environmental activities and initiatives.

One such activity was the cell phone collection drive sponsored by the kids at Parkmead Elementary School in Contra Costa county in California. The kids initiated a cell phone collection drive, last year, designed to benefit children born with cleft palates in developing countries. In cooperation with The Smile Train, the children collected cell phones from their community and surrounding areas, and sent these to a cell phone trading company who then issued a check in favor of Smile Train to help operate those children.

Read the full story at:
Pacebutler Recycling blog: Cell Phone Recycling and Cleft Palates

If you want to start your own cell phone collection drive in your school or neighborhood, Pacebutler Corporation of Edmond, Oklahoma can help you with this activity. Pacebutler is one of several US companies that buy used phones directly from cell phone users, online. You can also donate cell phones to your favorite charity using Pacebutler's charities donation page.

Pacebutler Can Help You with Cell Phone Recycling

We Buy Old or Used Cell phones for Recycling and Refurbishing

4 Easy Steps To Keep Your Cell Phones Away From The Landfill:

1. Use the Purchase Price List to find the buyback value of your phones.

2. Print a free FedEx Pre-paid Shipping Label so we can pay the shipping.

3. Box up your phone handsets and batteries (no accessories, chargers, etc.) then ship with our pre-paid label.

4. Get Cash! We'll issue your check within 4 business days of receiving your cell phones.

Games, Quizzes, and Puzzles

Recycling I.Q. - Origami Game

Happy Earth Day Coloring and Activities Book (PDF)

Quest of the Ring Leaders

How Much Water?

Energy Quest

How Much Of A Waster Are You?

Planet Protector Coloring Book (Online)

Thirstin's Wacky Water Adventure Activity Book (PDF)

Do The Math Puzzle: Use your math skills to find Colonel George Waring's nickname (playable online).

More recycling games and puzzles in these pages:

PA Clean Ways: Games and Puzzles

Recycle Zone: Fun Zone

Washington State Department of Ecology: Kids page

Image courtesy of PA Clean Ways: Games and Puzzles Section.

Planet Protectors Clubs For Kids

Featured at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

As member of the Planet Protectors Club for Kids, your duty is to help the world by making less trash. You can also help other people by making them aware of the importance of recycling. Be a member today, and check out all the fun recycling games and activities at the Planet Protectors Club over at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site.

Image courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency Planet Protectors Club.

Environmental Kids Club

Hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA Environmental Kids Club is really a cool place to join. It's got a lot of resources for everyone - kids, teachers, parents - for us to know more about recycling and take on the tons of fun and exciting activities, games, puzzles found here.

Did You Find This Lens Helpful?

Tell me about it

This lens is a work in progress, you know. More things are always added, constantly. If you find something really cool about kids recycling and helping protect our environment, tell us about it here. If YOUR own website is pretty slick and has more fun stuff related to kids and recycling, please link to it from here. Thanks.

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What happens to your trash after you drop it in the bin?

I'll leave you with this cool video from Zap Root, which traces the path our garbage take from the waste bin to the recycling center and eventually back to the supermarket shelves. I like this hip presentation, plus you get more trivia about blue men, the black hole that's believed to be the center of our galaxy, and a burning pit that's been the stuff of legend, often called the "gateway to the underworld." Watch the video now.
The Truth About Recycling | ZapRoot
by viropop | video info

233 ratings | 32,578 views
curated content from YouTube

Cool Places in the Web

Vote your favorite links up

Hey, kids. Want more fun stuff while learning? Here's our pick of the top 10 coolest places in the web where you'll have loads of fun while getting to know more about recycling and being BFF with the planet. Each site is definitely worth a visit, but we each have our own preferences, some sites you'll like more than the others. Here's your chance to help those sites you love, by voting them up in this module.

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Kids Recycle!

Kids Recycle! is a project of the GrassRoots Recyc more...0 points

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National Institute of Health Kids Pages

Kids Page Fun with Recycling -- presented by the N more...0 points

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Recycling For Beginners

Everything about recycling for beginners.0 points

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My Other Lenses and Sites

Recycling! Recycling!
This is my main gateway lens focused on recycling and environmental issues. Content summaries and previews of all my recycling lenses are found here, along with links to relevant web pages outside of Squidoo.

For the Latest Updates and Information on Recycling
Pacebutler Recycling Blog

External Random Game Sites

- Nintendo DS

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MichaelArms

My name is Michael Arms and I work for Pacebutler Corporation, the cell phone Recycling and Refurbishing company. We are currently involved in helping... more »

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