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Week 09 · Clean Up Crew

Thursday

Sort it out
// Wipe, sweep, sort and take it out
⏱ about 15 min

Thursday: Sort it out

Lizzy the Lizard holds a plastic tub over the recycling bin. "In? Out? I have no idea."

Samantha the Squirrel shakes her head. "Neither do I, and that is the point. Every town takes different things. Guessing puts the wrong stuff in the bin."

Ferris the Fox taps the Helper chart. "So the first sorting step is asking. Your grown-up knows what your town takes. Then you sort by kind."

Ask first, then sort

Recycling means used things that can be made into new things. Paper, cans and some plastics are common examples.

What goes in the bin is different in every town. Some take glass, some do not. Some take one kind of plastic but not another.

So the Crew rule is: ask your grown-up what your town takes. Never guess. A wrong item can spoil a whole bin.

Sorting by kind

Once you know what your town takes, sorting is easy. Put things in groups by kind.

KindExamplesBefore it goes in
Paper and cardboardBoxes, paper, cereal boxesFlatten boxes, keep dry
CansFood cans, drink cansEmpty and rinse
Plastic containersBottles, tubsEmpty and rinse, check with your grown-up
Not sureAnything you cannot nameAsk your grown-up
  1. Ask your grown-up what your town takes. Write the list on a card by the bin.
  2. Empty every container. Rinse it with warm water so it is not sticky.
  3. Flatten boxes so they take less room.
  4. Put each thing in its group: paper, cans, plastic.
  5. Anything you are not sure about goes in a keep-asking pile for your grown-up.
SORT SMART
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
What is the first sorting step?
A can still has food in it. What do you do?
What do you do with a cardboard box?
You cannot tell what something is made of. Where does it go?

A card by the bin

Samantha keeps a card taped near the den bin. It lists what the town takes and what it does not.

Make one with your grown-up. Then anyone in the family can sort without guessing. That is informative writing with a real job.

Who knows what your town takes for recycling?
What do you do to a container before it goes in the bin?
Where do you keep the list of what your town takes?
StatementTrue or false?
Every town takes exactly the same recycling.?
You should rinse containers before they go in.?
Guessing is fine when you are not sure.?
A card by the bin helps the whole family sort.?
WHY THIS EXERCISETowns differ, so asking beats guessing. Rinsing and a card make sorting easy.
What should you do with a box before it goes in the recycling?
WHY THIS EXERCISEFlat boxes stack and leave room for everything else in the bin.
Try it
Ask your grown-up what your town takes. Write it on a card together.
Sort five clean items by kind: paper, cans, plastic.
Put anything you are not sure about in a keep-asking pile.
Safety first
Rinse with warm water only. Your grown-up handles anything with a sharp edge, like a cut can lid.
Never reach deep into a bin. Sort on a table or counter.
Wash your hands when the sorting is done.

Asked, rinsed, sorted. Smart Crew work, Helper! Tomorrow Freddy reviews the week and you build a clean-up checklist.

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