Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: The impact of improper recycling

20 minutes

Find Out: The power of proper recycling

25 minutes

Take Action: Close the loop and communicate

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

explore why recycling plastic correctly is essential for reducing waste and protecting the environment by constructing evidence-based arguments and evaluating claims, considering ethical, environmental, social, and economic impacts.

Success criteria

Students can:

describe how recycling techniques impact the environment
create a science communication piece to encourage better recycling habits within their school community.

Tune In: The impact of improper recycling

Preparation

If you completed the last lesson in this sequence, ‘Bottled a Better Way’, recap with your students the concept of a closed-loop recycling system and the issues that can arise. If you haven't completed this lesson with your class yet, you might like to watch this video (youtube.com/watch?v=93oiuP26F9g) to give your students an understanding of closed-loop recycling before completing the rest of the lesson

Step 1

Divide the class into teams of 4 and play the Zero Waste Zone game with your students using the Zero Waste Scenario Cards. The aim of the game is to be the first team to reach the Zero Waste Zone. Draw a simple gameboard on the board, as shown below, that is visible to the whole class. The game board has eight steps, with the final step being the Zero Waste Zone.

Invite each team to choose a runner to communicate with you, the Zero Waste Master. Ask the runner to collect one scenario card (see additional resources) from you. Explain to students that each scenario card has a type of waste being put in the co-mingled recycling bin. They will need to decide if that’s ‘Not ok’, or if ‘It’s perfect!’ Once the team has decided on their answer, the runner returns to submit their team’s answer, returns the scenario card and retrieves a second scenario card.

The team moves a step closer on the gameboard toward the Zero Waste Zone for every correct answer. They move a step away from the Zero Waste Zone for every incorrect answer. The first to reach the Zero Waste Zone are the winners.

Step 2

Invite students to share something new they learned about correct recycling techniques and their importance. Next, students will take a closer look at what happens at an MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) to help consolidate their understanding of the recycling processes.

Find Out: The power of proper recycling

Step 1

Watch the following clip as a class, which outlines the correct recycling process for different materials.

Visy Recycling Education Video - Visy (vimeo.com/195721531)

As students watch, encourage them to answer the questions in the student worksheet about how to ‘Recycle Right. The questions are listed below for your reference.

What are the six types of materials that are being recycled? (Paper, cardboard, plastic, steel, glass and aluminium)
Can used pizza boxes be recycled? (Yes)
What should you do with the lids of plastic bottles when placing bottles in the recycling bin? (keep the lids screwed on)

Can aerosol cans and aluminium foil be recycled? (Yes - aerosol cans need to be empty)
What types of glass should not be placed in the recycling bin? (Drinking glass, mirrored glass, light globes and pyrex dishes - due to melting point issues)
How can you recycle clothes and bedding? (Contact local council or donate to charities)

Allow time for students to compare their responses with a partner.

Step 2

Reflecting on the Zero Waste Zone game, recap the effects of problems that arise from improper recycling. For example, sorting, contamination and mixed plastic products. Refer to Teacher Content Information

Facilitate the thinking routine - What makes you say that? Distribute the Visy Fact sheet - Challenges in Plastic Recycling for students to read. Invite students to form back into their Zero Waste Game groups. Write the following prompt on the board: ‘What do you think is the biggest challenge in recycling plastic effectively?’ Students discuss their responses in their group, and one member of the group shares and justifies their response using evidence within the text or from prior learnings throughout the unit.

Take Action: Close the loop and communicate

Step 1

Watch the following clip with your students, which shows the lifecycle of three different plastic bottles and their associated impacts.

What really happens to the plastic you throw away - Ted-Ed (youtube.com/watch?v=_6xlNyWPpB8)

After watching the video, review and discuss with the class the environmental, social and economic impacts of a world without recycling.

Suggested Responses:

Environmental Impacts:	• More waste would end up in landfills, leading to higher methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. • Destruction of natural habitats will adversely affect biodiversity. • Greater reliance on raw materials leads to the depletion of natural resources and increased environmental degradation. • Discarded plastics can harm wildlife through ingestion or entanglement, leading to injuries or death.
Social Impacts:	• Increased pollution from landfills can lead to health issues, particularly in communities near landfills or incineration sites.
Economic Impacts:	• Landfills would reach capacity more quickly, leading to increased waste management costs and the need for new landfill sites. • Recycling industries create more jobs compared to landfills and incinerators. • Eliminating recycling could result in significant job losses across communities. • Manufacturing products from virgin materials is often more energy-intensive and expensive than using recycled materials, leading to higher production costs and passing these costs onto consumers.

Step 2

Explain that individually, in pairs or small groups, students will create a science communication piece to suit a chosen audience. Their piece needs to help educate others about the importance of clean recycling streams by incorporating the following elements:

Definition of the recycling issue and how it impacts the closed loop.
Why it matters. Explain the environmental, social or economic impacts of not addressing the issue.
A proposed practical solution to help overcome the issue and how an individual or community can make a difference when solving it.

Provide students with a choice on how they wish to produce their communication piece. Examples include:

newspaper article
performance: role play, slam poetry, 2-minute dance
board game
podcast episode
comic
infographic.

Learning support: Limit student choice to one media type and provide a template, ensuring students hit the key points required.

Encourage students to keep clarity, creativity, and engagement in mind. Suggest diagrams and slogans to capture their audience. Provide copies of Visy - Household Recycling Guide and share on your class screen examples from RECYCLE mate for inspiration.

Reflection

Ask students to reflect on their recycling habits and complete the Stop-Start-Continue chart in the Student Worksheet.

STOP - Am I making any recycling mistakes? If so what should I stop doing?	START - What can I improve on in the way I recycle?	CONTINUE - What am I already doing and can keep doing to support a closed loop recycling system?

/vimeo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xlNyWPpB8

Visy Education - Why Recycling Right Matters

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