Examples of How to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle A Household Recycling and Action Guide. This is a guide of ways to reduce, reuse, recycle in plan no-nonsense terms.
How the 3 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Can Effect our Environment Project 2050 - Save Earth. Gives an idea of how life would be with everyone involved in the 3R's and other environmentally sound activities.
Text Resources
Bernstein, Leonard and others (1996). Environmental science. Ecology and human impact. Menlo Park: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
Definitions
reduce - to use less
reuse - to put again into service without changing
recycle - to put again into service with changing
Materials to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Student Activity:
Have the students list as many materials as they know of that are either reduced, reused and/or recycled. This can be a group activity. Encourage all ideas and discuss the ones that may be a little "too" original.
Lecture Notes:
There are several materials that are now being recycled. Paper is one of the easiest but each time it is recycled, the cellulose fibers in the paper shorten and weaken, reducing the quality of the paper. Some minerals can be recycled such as glass and aluminum. Junked cars are recycled. Many other metals are also recycled such as silver from photographic film and x-rays, copper from car radiators and telephone and utility cables, lead from car batteries, and zinc from plumbing materials. Other materials being recycled are motor oil and plastic.
How the 3 R's Effect Our Environment
Student Activity:
Have the students brainstorm how they think all our recycling and other efforts impact our environment. Do they think it is a waste of time? It is worth it? Does it really save our planet? etc.....
Lecture Notes:
When aluminum is recycled instead of refining 'new' aluminum, water and air pollution is decreased as well as consumption of energy. The recycling of motor oil keeps several toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and benzene from polluting our land and air, not to mention the consumption of energy that is reduced in this process to clean as opposed to refining. The 3 R's reduce the amount of waste produced and the resulting disposal problems. They are also less polluting, cheaper and more energy-efficient than taking new material from the environment.
Ways to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Student Activity:
Have the students brainstorm on how they can reduce, reuse, recycle. Make sure they are very specific in how they would accomplish their desired activity to save the environment. Have them include individual as well as community activities.
Lecture Notes:
There are several ways of imposing the 3 R's. One is certainly to buy products made from recycled materials which completes the recycling circle. Another way which is most popular is to recycle/reuse paper, plastic, glass and other items through curbside recycling pickup or centers designated for that purpose. Repair items like appliances so that the garbage in landfills will be reduced.
A Personal Plan of Action
Student Activity:
Have students copy the following table and complete. This should be started in class but completed at home so students may involve other family members.| Activity | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | ||||||||||||||||
| Target Date | ||||||||||||||||
| Impact | ||||||||||||||||
These materials created by Marva M. Ledwith.
Last updated 2/24/96.
url = http://www.rice.edu/armadillo/Projects/Star/Facilitators/MLedwith/environ.html