Recycling Smarts
Compost Detectives
Sustainable Choices
From Nature to You
Energy & Climate
100
Which number on plastic is most often accepted in recycling bins?
#1 or #2
100
What is compost made of?
greens, browns, and soil
100
Which choice uses the least energy?
a) New plastic water bottle
b) Reusable water bottle
c) Throwing bottles away
b) Reusable water bottle
100
Paper comes from:
a) Rocks
b) Trees
c) Plastic
b) trees
100
What type of energy is this?
windmill
200
Why is recycling aluminum especially important?
a) It is shiny
b) It saves a lot of energy
c) It floats in water
b) It saves a lot of energy
200
Which is a “brown” compost material?
a) Banana peel
b) Leaves
c) Grass clippings
b) Leaves
200
What can you bring with you when you go grocery shopping to reduce plastic?
a) a newspaper
b) a reusable bag
c) a rubiks cube
b) a reusable bag
200
Where does rubber come from?
a rubber tree
200
Which energy source is renewable?
a) Coal
b) Oil
c) Sun
c) Sun
300
Sorting challenge:
Trash, recycling, or special drop‑off?
- Batteries
- Pizza box with grease
- Clean cardboard
- Batteries → special drop‑off
- Greasy pizza box → trash or compost (if allowed)
- Clean cardboard → recycling
300
A compost bin smells bad. What might fix it?
a) Add more food scraps
b) Add leaves or paper
c) Add plastic
b) Add leaves or paper
300
Which is better and why?
Walking to school or getting a car ride one block?
Walking — no fuel or pollution.
300
What is plastic made from?
crude oil
300
What is renewable energy?
"recycled" energy
400
True or False:
Putting the wrong item in recycling can ruin a whole batch.
True
400
Why is compost good for soil?
It adds nutrients and helps plants grow.
400
You outgrow a jacket. What is the most sustainable choice?
Donate it or pass it on.
400
True or False:
Plastic comes from plants grown on farms.
False (it comes from oil)
400
Why don’t fossil fuels last forever?
They take millions of years to form.
500
what percentage of aluminum on the planet is newly created?
a) 3%
b) 66%
c) 33%
c) 33%
500
What happens to food scraps in a landfill instead of compost?
They make methane gas, which warms the planet.
500
Which of these are ways you can be sustainable at home?
a) turning off lights
b) turning the water off when you are not using it
c) using a plastic container instead of a plastic bag
all of the above!
500
Cause & effect:
What might happen if too many trees are cut down?
Less oxygen, animal homes lost, climate change
500
What type of energy do dams produce?
a) nuclear energy
b) solar energy
c) hydro power
c) hydro power