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