COMMUNITY
Recycling
Level:
Materials Needed:
Technology Needed:
High Beginning ESL
Telephone Directory
(White and Yellow Pages)
Internet Access
© Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Conserve
Directions: Read the definitions below. Then write them in the blanks that follow.
Reduce means to make less.
Reuse means to use again.
Recycle means to use again.
Conserve means to save costs and resources.
REDUCE means ___________________________________________________ .
REUSE means _____________________________________________________ .
RECYCLE means __________________________________________________ .
CONSERVE means _________________________________________________.
Recycling is important for many reasons.
 It keeps waste out of landfills.
 It saves valuable raw materials like the aluminum in soda cans.
 It reduces pollution and saves energy.
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©Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling
Participate in Recycling
Directions: Study the recycling instructions. Write the correct answer in the
blanks below.
 Use less paper to conserve resources.
 Reuse plastic food containers.
 Reuse plastic grocery bags.
 Take glass bottles to a recycling
center.
 Take aluminum to a recycling center.
 Take paper to a recycling center.
1. Reuse ___________________ and __________________________________.
2. Take __________________, ________________ and _________________to a
recycle center.
3. Conserve resources by using less ___________________________________.
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©Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling
Where Does It Go?
When we recycle, we must separate items into similar groups of materials.
Directions: Write these items in the correct column below.
aluminum cans
newspapers
glass jars
telephone books
egg cartons
GLASS
glass jars
aerosol cans
cereal boxes
advertisements
soup cans
magazines
METAL
aluminum cans
liquor bottles
plastic soda bottles
detergent containers
milk cartons
PAPER
newspapers
egg cartons
PLASTIC
egg cartons
PLASTIC RAZOR
Some items are not so good for the environment. They require more packaging
and cannot be reused or recycled. Disposable diapers, paper towels, paper and
plastic plates and utensils, individual packets of sugar, disposable cameras and
disposable razors are some examples.
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©Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling
Orange County Recycling
1. Go to the Internet.
2. Type www.earth900.org and click on Go.
3. Under Municipal Recycling Services, click on Drop Off.
4. Type in your zip code. Click Go.
5. Under Featured Community Information, click on Beverage Container Recycling.
6. Write the names and addresses to two places you can recycle.
Places I Can Recycle:
1.
Name ___________________________
Address __________________________
_________________________
2.
Name ___________________________
Address __________________________
_________________________
7. On the left side of the web page, click on Reuse and Recycle.
8. Near the center of the new page, find the blue box called Jump to a Category. Click the
arrow to scroll down the list until you find Paper. Click to select it.
9. Write a list of the different kinds of paper that can be recycled.
_____________________
_____________________
______________________
_____________________
_____________________
______________________
_____________________
_____________________
______________________
_____________________
_____________________
______________________
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©Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling
Recycling In My City
1. Use the Internet.
2. Type www.oc.ca.gov/iwmd/ and click on Go. When the OC Landfills screen comes up,
look at the blue box on the left. Put the pointer on Recycling, and a pull-down menu
appears. Click on Programs.
3. What is the Residential Program Type in your city? Copy the words from the
Residential Program Type for your city in the box below.
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©Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling
Used Books
Directions: Use the Telephone Directory's White and Yellow Pages for the next two
activities.
Reusing books is a good way to conserve printing costs. You can find used books in
bookstores and in many public libraries.

See if the library nearest you has a used bookstore.
1. Using a telephone directory White Pages, look in the Government Listings section
under "O" for Orange County Libraries. Find the address closest to you, and write the
phone number here._________________.
2. Call the library and ask if they have a used bookstore where they resell books. You
may want to buy books here or give your old books to the store for other people to reuse.

Find a used bookstore by using the Yellow Pages.
1. Look under "B" for BOOKS - USED AND RARE
2. Write a store address and phone number here: ____________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. Call and ask for the store hours to see when it is open. Write the hours here:
____________________________
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©Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling
COMMUNITY
Recycling
CHECKLIST: Check  each worksheet when you finish.
____Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Conserve (page 2)
____Participate in Recycling (page 3)
____Where Does It Go? (page 4)
____Orange County Recycling (page 5)
____Recycling In My City (page 6)
____Used Books (page 7)
I finished all the worksheets and activities.
________________________
Student's Signature
__________________________
Instructor's Signature
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©Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling
ANSWER KEY
Recycling
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Conserve (page 2)
REDUCE means to make less.
REUSE means to use again.
RECYCLE means to use again.
CONSERVE means to save costs and resources.
Participate in Recycling (page 3)
1. plastic food containers, plastic bags
2. glass bottles, aluminum, paper
3. paper
Where Does It Go? (page 4)
GLASS
glass jars
liquor bottles
METAL
aluminum cans
egg cartons*
aerosol cans
soup cans
PAPER
newspapers
telephone books
cereal boxes
advertisements
magazines
detergent containers
milk cartons
PLASTIC
egg cartons*
plastic soda bottles
plastic milk bottles
*egg cartons may be either paper or plastic
Orange County Recycling (page 5)
9.
books
brown paper bags
chipboard
computer paper
aseptic containers
magazines and catalogs
mixed paper
newspaper
telephone books
white office paper
cardboard
drink boxes
milk and juice cartons
paperboard
Recycling In My City (page 6)
3. (City-dependent) Santa Ana: 3 cart system. Residents place recyclables, yard waste, and trash in separate
carts.
Used Books (page 7)
Students answers will vary according to their home locations and listings
 Orange County Libraries: (Stanton: 714-898-3302; Tustin: 714-544-7725; Garden Grove: 714-539-2115,
714-530-0711, 714-897-2594)
 Used Bookstore: (Book Baron, 1236 S. Magnolia Ave., Anaheim, 714-527-7022; Bookman, 840 N.
Tustin, Orange, 714-538-0166)
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©Santa Ana College, School of Continuing Education
Civics Education: Recycling