Unusual Recycling Project Ideas

compiled by That Rocks ELA, Math, and Science

Kids love to get involved in helping the community and the environment around them. Below are
ideas for having a collection drive for 9 items that aren’t normally recycled. Some collections can
be used for charity, and others are just to help the environment and raise awareness. Kids can
raise awareness by:

• Making posters (using recycled materials, like cardboard boxes from the cafeteria!)
• Tweeting about the drive.
• Writing a PSA and submitting it to local radio stations.
• Making a commercial to show on your school’s announcements, and/or sending it to local tv
stations.
• Other ideas???

1. Collect and send used greeting cards to St. Jude’s Ranch, a home for abused and at-risk kids.
They will use the front of the cards to make new cards. Certain restrictions apply, such as the cards
cannot be Disney, Hallmark, or American Greeting cards. They only need the fronts; you may cut
the backs off. The children there learn business skills by re-making the cards. The website says
that currently birthday and thank-you cards are in need.

Address: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program

100 St. Jude’s Street

Boulder City, NV 89005

See more at: https://stjudesranch.org/about-us/recycled-card-program/

2. Collect used panty hose! This is not a charitable donation, but does allow the recycling of items
not typically accepted in curbside recycling.

Visit http://www.nononsense.com/pantyhose-recycling.htm

to print a mailing label.

3. CDs If thrown away, the cds can last thousands of years in a landfill or give off toxic gasses if
they are burned. Most community recycling facilities do not recycle the #7 plastic that cds are
made from. Items such as helmets and recycle bins can be made from the resin used to make cds.
Visit www.cdrecyclingcenter.org/ to find a cd drop-off location near you or to get the address to
mail your cds. The service is free, although donations are appreciated.
4. How about bringing in your old running shoes? Instead of filling up a landfill, the shoes can be
donated to those less fortunate or the materials can be used to make a new track. Visit the
following website to find a drop-off location. https://soles4souls.org/get-involved/give-shoes/

5. Hair clippings Ok, this one sounds really weird…but there is an awesome video on youtube that
shows how hair clippings can be made to make “booms” which can help with oil spill clean up. It is
a very doable project for the classroom, complete with a recipe for fake oil. You have to see it to
believe it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CCgiD16jfM&list=UUKvB0zRBOb2rFQDBsQyAMlg&index=1&f
eature=plcp

6. Batteries How many of us are guilty of just tossing batteries into the regular trash can? The
batteries can leak chemicals in landfills, causing ground and water pollution. Also, batteries are
made of metals, including lead, cadmium, zinc, lithium, and mercury.
(http://www.globalbatterybuyers.com/uncategorized/why-recycle-batteries.html) To find a
location near you, visit http://www.call2recycle.org/locator/. Many of the locations are home
improvement stores like Home Depot.

7. Keys Key for Hope is a charitable organization that accepts keys for recycling, and gives 100%
of the proceeds to a food pantry of your choice. The website has tools to specifically help
classroom organize a key drive. Visit http://keyforhope.org/ for all the information you’ll need!

8. Packing Peanuts What to do, what to do with all those Styrofoam packing peanuts…This
website will help you find a drop off location and gives some information about recycling packing
peanuts. http://www.loosefillpackaging.com/

9. Plastic bags Plastic bags and films are not commonly recycled. This website helps find drop off
locations by zip code, plus has links to articles like “Educating Customers to Recycle More Bags and
Film”. http://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/#4
If you enjoy this list of ideas, please visit my other product for Earth Day, “Earth Day Activities! Informational Text Plus
More for Middle School”. See the table of contents on the next page!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Activities-Informational-Texts-Plus-More-for-Middle-School-
1161152

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Plastic Problem- Water Bottles article p. 3

• The Plastic Problem Questions p. 4

• The Plastic Problem Math Connections p. 5

Water Wisdom article p. 6

• Water Wisdom Questions p. 7

• Water Wisdom Pie Charts p. 8
• Water Use Bar Graphs p. 9 - 10
• State Water Use Data Tables and Map p. 11 – 12
• Wasteful Water Activity p. 13

Go Green! The Power of Renewable Energy article p. 14 – 15

• Go Green! Questions p. 16 – 17

Recycling Facts Infographic p. 18

• Recycling Facts Questions p. 19

• Unusual Recycling Project Ideas p. 20 – 21

EPA Webquest p. 22 – 23

Dandelions: Intolerable Intruder or Favorable Flower? p. 24 – 25

Recycling Logic Puzzle p. 26

Answer Keys and Sources p. 27 - 33

Clip Art Courtesy of: