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Description

Learn how to recycle different items. What else can everyone do to help protect the environment?

Courtesy of The Scout Assocaition
https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/race-to-recycle/

Resources

Time: 10 minutes
Scrap paper
Pens or pencils
Sticky tack
Scissors

To find out more about what can be recylced - https://www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with

Take it further
Why not set everyone a recycling challenge to complete before the next session? Such as:
- Recycling saves wildlife. Pick up five pieces of litter.
- Recycling reduces landfill waste. Reuse one piece of rubbish.
- Recycling saves energy. Put used paper in a paper recycling bin.
- Recycling saves money. Find another use for a recyclable item.
- Recycling reduces pollution. Say ‘no thanks’ to plastic bags.
- Recycling protects natural resources. Use a re-usable water bottle.

Youth shaped guidance
If they’re especially interested, groups could choose what action they’d like to take about recycling. They could decide on a specific focus such as reusing paper during activities.

Safety: Scissors
Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people
Safety: Active games
The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed.
Safety: Rubbish and recycling
All items should be clean and suitable for this activity.

Instructions

Before you begin
- Make four signs of your own to show: ‘Recycle at home’, ‘Compost’, ‘Recycling centre or collection point’ and ‘Rubbish’ (or use the signs created by 5th Portsmouth).
- Put these up in different areas of the meeting place.


Talk about recycling
1. Everyone should sit in a circle.
2. Everyone should think about anything they already do to recycle at home or at school. Some people could share their ideas if they want to.
3. Everyone should think about why recycling is so important. Some people could share their ideas if they want to.
4. The person leading the activity should help everyone understand that recycling, using fewer things, and reusing items reduces the negative effect we have on the planet. You could explain that recycling items stops them ending up as litter that hurts wildlife, or in landfill sites. Materials such as plastic don’t break down over time—if we don’t recycle them, they’ll be in nature forever. Making new packaging uses energy and chemicals that damage the environment.


Play the game
1. The person leading the game should explain what each sign means, so everyone understands.
2. Everyone should stand in the middle.
3. The person leading the game should call out an example of a piece of rubbish For example, a cereal box, an apple core, a plastic bottle, or a sweet wrapper.
4. Everyone should move to the right sign depending on whether they could recycle it at home, compost it, take it to a recycling centre, or put it in the rubbish. It’s up to you how players move—they could walk or run, or you could get creative. Why not move like different animals, or practice hopping and skipping?
5. The person leading the game should tell everyone the right answer. They should explain what’s likely to happen to the item as it’s recycled, composted, or put in the rubbish bin.
6. The game ends when the person leading the game runs out of items to call out.


Reflection
- This game reminded you that you’re a local, national, and international citizen. Part of this means you have an important part to play in taking care of the world—as citizens, we all have responsibilities. Imagine yourself recycling one item from the game, and how you’d do it. Now, imagine all of your neighbours, family, and friends joining in. What would happen if all of their neighbours, family, and friends recycled more? What happens when you mix a small change and a lot of people?
- This activity also let you think about helping your community. Do you recycle at home? What about at school? Where can you recycle in your local area? You could make a big difference by sharing your new knowledge with other people. You could encourage your friends to recycle more, encourage everyone to turn off the lights when they’re not needed, and take reusable bags to the shop.


Change the level of challenge
You could add in some trickier items, such as glittery wrapping paper or paper cups with plastic coatings.

Tags

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Badge Links

• Community Impact - Identify
• Global Issues - Energy or recycling