We Recycle!

Social Studies/Art

Children will help to set up a class or school recycling center.

What You Need

• Several large bins, boxes , or garbage containers
• Poster board
• Markers
• Pick-up/delivery arrangement with a local recycling center (if necessary)

What To Do

1. Talk to children in your class about the need for recycling: saving plastic, glass, paper, and metal for using again, instead of throwing those materials away. Point out that many things children use each day are made from recycled materials.
2. Invite children to help start a class or school recycling center. Have them label boxes, bins, or garbage containers in categories such as: plastic, glass, paper, aluminum, and crafts (for materials that might be reused in art or crafts projects).
3. If curbside pick-up service is unavailable, establish a pick-up arrangement with a recycling service, or ask parent volunteers to bring recyclable materials to a recycling center.
4. Establish a convenient place where children throughout the school can recycle materials.
5. Encourage children to brainstorm slogans and graphic ideas for posters advertising the need to recycle throughout the school. Then have children work together as partners or in small groups to create and put up the posters around the school.
6. Signs can be posted around the bins stating such rules as: "Put glass in carefully" and "Make sure bottles and containers are clean."