Lesson 2: The consequences of recycling
This lesson builds on the ideas introduced in lesson 1 and looks at the environmental context for recycling. Students use examples of packaging to build up a picture of what happens to waste packaging when it is sent to landfill, or alternatively when it is recycled. They build on this to consider the consequences of these actions at local and global scales.
In the lesson, students explore the consequences of a decision to bin or recycle packaging. They discover what happens to their packaging, what this means for how we source and use natural resources, and some of the impacts this can create. The lesson includes extension task ideas for teachers who would like to research some of these consequences in more detail. You can also split this into two lessons if you prefer, starting the second lesson at ‘What if we recycled instead?
Lesson 2 Video
The two friends follow two kerbside recycling collections and find out what happens to the sorted and mixed recyclable materials they see collected. They discover the importance of not mixing items in with your recycling, and visit where recylable materials are sorted ready for reprocessing.
Learning outcomes
Recycling knowledge and understanding | Citizenship concepts and processes | Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills |
Disposal is the least effective way to deal with packaging waste. Materials take many years to break down and cannot be re-used Landfill has many negative consequences, including emissions, effects on the environment and constant demand for fresh natural resources Recycling provides a number of environmental and economic benefits Recycling allows materials to be used again, reducing the need for natural resource extraction and landfill | 1.1b What is fair and unfair? 1.2a Rights and obligations 1.2c Balancing rights with obligations 1.3c Consider interconnections between the UK and the rest of the world 2.2a Expressing opinions 2.2b Communicating an argument 2.2c Justifying an argument and persuading others 2.3c Impacts on communities and the wider world | IE: Analyse and evaluate information IE: Plan and carry out research CT: Question their own and others’ assumptions CT: Connect ideas in inventive ways RL: communicate their learning in different ways EP: Discuss issues of concern
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