Lesson 3 Small Things Matter
Wishful Recycling
Most people ____ with the idea that recycling is an easy way to make a positive impact on the planet.
It makes you feel good about ____ too.
But your ____ may sometimes be harming the environment instead.
How can this be? ____ it is because you might be a wishcycler.
What ____ Wishcycling?
____ the following situation.
On your way home from school, someone hands ____ a piece of paper.
You glance at the ____ flyer advertising a new study café.
As you are about to throw it into the garbage, you ____ to put it into the recycling bin instead.
You think flyers can be recycled because they’re ____ of paper.
What just happened is a case of ____
It is the act of trying to recycle something that should not be ____
Wishcycling is usually done with good ____ but it often causes more harm than good.
Why Is ____ a Problem?
The biggest problem with wishcycling is that ____ creates more waste.
For ____ if you wishcycle a greasy pizza box, it can soak clean paper products with oil.
Then everything in the recycling bin ____ become non-recyclable and end up in a landfill.
Creating more waste is ____ the only problem, however.
Wishcycling also leads ____ costly delays.
To process recyclable items, non-recyclable ____ must be sorted out first.
The more non-recyclable items ____ mixed with recyclable items, the longer it will take to pick them out.
Wishcycled items can also damage the sorting machines, causing them to be temporarily shut down ____ repairs.
How Can We Stop Wishcycling?
With a little ____ we can put an end to wishcycling.
First, ____ sure your recyclables are empty, clean, and dry.
Shake out any remaining ____ from bottles and jars.
After that, wash them out and wait for them to ____
You also need to ____ the labels.
Now they are ready to be ____ in the recycling bin.
This simple process will ensure that all ____ items in the recycling bin can be recycled.
Second, learn about the meanings of ____ recycling symbols.
They tell you about the material of the item and whether it ____ be recycled or not.
Have you ever seen a recycling symbol with the number “7” and the word “other” ____ it?
This symbol means the product is made of two different materials ____ will be difficult to recycle.
Checking the recycling symbols like this will help you ____ wishcycling.
Third, ____ the recycling guidelines for your local area.
Different areas have different rules on what ____ be recycled.
You ____ easily learn about the guidelines for your area by visiting your local government website.
You ____ also look for recycling posters near recycling bins.
Lastly, ____ recycle an item when in doubt.
Even after you check the symbols and guidelines, you might still be unsure ____ it is recyclable.
In that ____ you should put it in the trash.
You might feel ____ that you may be throwing away a recyclable item.
However, doing so may actually be better for the ____
Take comfort in the fact ____ you are not wishcycling.
We ____ know that living without producing trash is impossible.
The good news is that about 75 percent of our waste can be recycled ____ it is done properly.
This is ____ we need to stop wishcycling and start recycling.
So hop ____ the #stopwishcycling movement and help keep our planet green!