United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA/530-SW-90-025
April 1990
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OS-305)
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In recent years, the so-called
"garbage crisis" has grabbed
the attention of the nation
and the world. Overloaded
and closing landfills and
barges laden with trash
graphically illustrate the
problems created by a
"throwaway" society. Faced
with ever-increasing amounts of
garbage and no place to put it all, more and more
Americans are recognizing the need for action.
Young people can play an especially important
role in solving the garbage gluts of today-and
tomorrow. School teachers and administrators are
in a unique position to help students fulfill this
role. With the proper tools, educators can help
students respect the environment, become aware
of their impact upon it, and develop positive
attitudes and behaviors. In many instances, young
people can change their parents' habits, too.
Recycle Today! provides a varied, entertain-
ing, and informative way for educators to teach
young people about recycling and other solid
waste issues. This comprehensive educational
program, developed by the Office of Solid Waste,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in
partnership with national educational associa-
tions, aims to raise students' environmental
awareness through classroom activities and
hands-on recycling projects. Although it focuses
on solid waste, Recycle Today! incorporates
broader sociological, economic, and scientific
information about the world we live in. What
students learn goes beyond the classroom, since
the program emphasizes how they can make
changes in their daily habits and throughout their
lives.
Recycle Today! consists of four publications
that focus on the importance of recycling, and
how it can have an impact on trash management
and the environment. These publications make it
easy for teachers to introduce recycling into their
classroom by providing lesson plans, resource
materials, and practical projects for students to
work on at school and at home. To allow for
maximum teacher flexibility, the publications
may be used individually, or as a package.
The "Garbage Gremlin," which appears throughout
Recycle Today!, represents the wasteful habits many
of us unknowingly perpetuate. Students are encouraged
to recognize and reject the ways of the "Gremlin" as
they learn how to be responsible, environmentally
conscious citizens.
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CURRICULUM
Let's Recycle: A Curriculum for Solid Waste
Awareness presents lessons and activities to
teach students in grades K-12 about solid waste
generation and management. The bulk of the
curriculum is composed of logically ordered,
highly interactive activities for students at school
and beyond. Each unit presents a series of related
lessons with vocabulary words, discussion
questions, and projects. Practical teaching aids,
such as handouts, worksheets, clip art, and a short
skit are also included, along with a glossary and
bibliography of additional sources of information.
The curriculum covers such issues as the value of
natural resources, the importance of recycling,
and the responsibility each
person bears for the generation
and disposal of his or her trash.
The curriculum also provides
an avenue for teachers to incor-
porate information about their
own community into the
activities.
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Objective:
To introduce the concept of
renewable versus nonrenewable
natural resources.
••
ement system. Help students
« ihey are the result of gcolog.
materials are in limited supply
and cardboard come from the i
„ a faster rate than n can be prc
"on, students should be able,,
•able and nonrenewable resoi
Aluminum cans, from bou
Tin-plalcd steel cans. Iron
Glass boltles, from sand,
plentiful supply!
Paper, from wood trenev
Cardboard, from wood (
Organic waste, such as [
Plastic containers or Da
, collection oftans that would
jr, should include examples of |
udems to examine these produc
In the discussion, point
GRADE LEVEL
The curriculum is
divided into two
major sections: one
for grades
kindergarten through
6, and one for grades
7 through 12.
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HOW-TO HANDBOOK
FOR TEACHERS
School Recycling Programs: A Handbook
for Educators describes a number of school
recycling program options, along with step-by-
step instructions on how to set up a program.
The handbook focuses on implementing actual
recycling projects, and highlights several success
stories from around the country. It also introduces
the President's Environmental Youth Awards, a
national program that recognizes outstanding
efforts of young people to protect the environ-
ment. Since school recycling programs are
excellent candidates for the President's Environ-
mental Youth Awards, the handbook provides
instructions on how schools can apply to this
program. The handbook also identifies sources
for more information and additional related
publications.
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POSTER
Ride the Wave of the Future: Recycle Today!
promotes recycling through a colorful poster
designed to appeal to all grade levels. A joint
effort between EPA and the National Science
Teachers Association, the poster appeared in the
The Science Teacher and can be displayed in
conjunction with recycling activities or used to
help foster recycling.
COMIC BOOK FOR STUDENTS
IN GRADES 4-7
Adventures of the Garbage Gremlin: Recycle
and Combat a Life of Grime introduces
students in grades 4-7 to the benefits of recycling
through an engaging comic book approach.
Students are led on a lively adventure where they
encounter the problems associated with garbage
and watch their peers foil a scheme of the
"Garbage Gremlin" to make their school his new
home. The comic book describes the recycling
process in a thorough yet entertaining way that
speaks to students directly and encourages them
to assess their present attitudes and behaviors.
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Recycle Today! was developed with
participation from the following national
education associations:
• National Association of Biology Teachers
• American Federation of Teachers
• National Science Teachers Association
• Council for American Private Education
• National Parent-Teacher Association
How to Obtain these Publications
To order these publications at no cost from
EPA, fill in the coupon below and send it to: The
RCRA Information Center (OS-305), US. EPA,
401 M Street SW, Washington DC 20460.
Please Send:
D Curriculum (EPA/530-SW-90-005)
D How-to Handbook (EPA/SW-90-023)
n Comic Book (EPA/530-SW-90-024)
D Poster (EPA/530-SW-90-010)
To:
Name
SchooL
Address=
City
State Zip
I
L,
•U.S. Government Printing Office: 1991 — 525-417
Printed on recycled paper
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