Recycling Web Quest
Introduction:
Recycling is the collection of used materials that would otherwise be waste to be broken down and
remade into new products. Reuse is collecting waste such as food and drink containers to be
cleaned, refilled and resold.
Motivations for recycling include environmental sustainability and business economics: sustainability
because the reused material both prevents waste and reduces the consumption of new raw materials,
and economics because it can be cheaper to produce new products from reused or recycled
materials. An extensive variety of waste is recyclable, and commonly recycled materials include
glass, paper, aluminum, asphalt, and steel. These materials can be derived either from pre-consumer
waste (materials used in manufacturing) or post-consumer waste (materials discarded by the
consumer).
Web Quest Tasks
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Task 1: History of Recycling
Task 2: Recycling Paper
Task 3: Recycling Plastic
Task 4: Resin Identification Codes
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Task 5: Recycling of PET Bottles
Task 6: Materials Recovery Facility
Task 7: Waste Management
Web Quest Conclusion
Task 1: The History of Recycling
Use this History of Recycling webpage to answer the following questions.
1. What two things cause recycling to peak?
2. Recycling aluminum saves what percent of the energy needed to produce it from raw
materials?
3. The modern recycling movement in the United States actually started with a New York
garbage barge in 1987. What was the name of the barge?
4. Why did Morehead City deny the New York barge permission to unload its garbage?
5. The post-consumer plastics recycling business began in the United States after the city
of Berkeley, California banned the use of polystyrene packaging used by what
company?
Task 2: The Recycling of Paper
Use this Paper Recycling webpage to answer the following questions.
1. Explain the paper recycling process.
2. In 2012, how much paper and paper board was municipal solid waste in the U.S.?
Task 3: The Recycling of Plastic
Use this Plastic Recycling webpage to answer the following questions.
1. How can the percentage of plastic that is recycled be increased?
2. What are some barriers to recycling plastic?
Task 4: Resin Identification Codes
Use this Resin Identification Codes webpage to answer the following questions.
1. At the moment, what are the only three types of plastics that are economically
viable to recycle?
2. What type of plastic cannot be remelted, but only crushed and used as insulation?
3. Why can't different types of plastics be mixed together when recycling?
4. What is the name of the polymer used in soft drink bottles?
5. What is the name of the polymer used in grocery bags?
6. What is the name of the polymer used in non-food bottles?
Task 5: Recycling of PET Bottles
Use this Recycling of PET Bottles webpage to answer the following questions.
1. PET plastics are coded with what number?
2. Where is the recycle code found on the container?
3. What post-consumer color fraction costs the most?
4. What post-consumer color fraction is the least valuable?
5. After processing, what are pure PET fragments called?
6. Worldwide, approximately how many tons of PET are collected each year?
Task 6: Materials Recovery Facilitys
Use this Materials Recovery Facility webpage to answer the following questions.
1. What does a materials recovery facility do?
2. What is a "clean" MRF?
3. What is a "dirty" MRF?
4. What percent of the incoming materials are recovered as recyclables by a dirty MRF?
5. What happens to the material from a dirty MRF that is not recyclable?
Task 7: Waste Management
Use this Waste Management webpage to answer the following questions.
1. What are the "3 Rs" of waste management?
2. What is "source reduction"
3. What is "extended producer responsibility?
4. What is the most traditional method of waste disposal?
5. Compaction, shearing, and grinding are examples of what waste management
technique?
6. What waste management technique is used in "biomass" power stations?
Conclusion to the Web Quest:
In theory, recycling would allow a continuing reuse of materials for the same purpose. In practice,
recycling most often extends the useful life of a material, but in a less-versatile form. Consumer
recycling has succeeded mostly in reducing industrial consumption of energy and water. Production
of materials such as aluminum and glass require large amounts of electricity or fossil fuels. The
recycling of such materials is profitable and prevents a substantial amount of greenhouse gas
emissions.
Skeptics believe that, with the exception of aluminum cans, recycling is wasteful. In particular, the
market for recycled materials is limited, and using recycled materials may be more expensive for
manufacturers than new raw materials.
Recycling becomes cheaper when costs associated with raw material extraction and the increased
need for landfills (or incineration plants) for waste materials are included. If environmental and health
effects are figured in, recycling may be socially efficient even when carried out at a financial loss.
Assignment:
You are a career politician who is running for governor of the state for the first time. You believe the
environmental and health benefits of recycling make it something that should be encouraged, even if
state and local money must be spent to make it happen. You are running on a "Green" platform and
plan to make your state the country's recycling leader.
Write a speech to be used as a two minute television commercial to explain your recycling plan and
how each citizen in the state will benefit.
NOTE: Your speech must include:
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Why recycling is important to everyone in your state.
How your program will increase the financial incentives for recycling.
How your program will make it easier for citizens to recycle aluminum cans, PET plastic
bottles, and newspapers.
Web Quest Application:
After all speeches are read to the class, "vote" for the candidate with the best recycling
program.