Nickolas+Cardani

TALENT 21﻿
=In order to reduce my ecological footprint I intend to do research on the causes and affects of recycling. Recycling is a big factor in science and I plan to learn all I can on how to help the environment.=

HYPOTHESIS: My hypothesis for recycling is to make my family recycle for one week. I know that we will reduce our waste by about half of what we normally throw away. I will record and graph my date for one week counting bottles, cans, newspapers and cardboard. I know if I can help my family understand how important it is to recycle, I can also get my grandparents and Aunt's and Uncle's to do it too.

WHO: As I started my research about recycling I found that there were many different websites to give me all the information I needed. Some of these sites were Recyclingfacts.com, environment-green.com, container-recycling.org and earth911.com. All of these sites informed me that recycling is the only way to reduce waste. It also helped me understand how important it is to recycle everything from bottles to cans and newspapers.

WHAT: Everyday and average person creates 4.7 pounds of waste. It is important to know what can or can't be recycled. Bottles, paper, aluminum foil, cans of all types, cardboard, glass containers, paper bags and plastic containers can all be recycled. Aerosol cans, batteries, electronics and plastic bags cannot be recycled. It is improtant to recycle because it affects our world's air, water and land.

WHERE: Recycling began with environmental groups who realized that we were using too much of the world's resources, such as trees, minerals, fuel and water. These groups tried to convince American's of the danger of not recycling, however they could not get everyone to do it. Little by little small groups formed all over the country to start recycling programs.

WHEN: Recycling started in the late 1960's. Some people say that recycling began as early as the stone age. No one really know for sure, but it has helped our country save energy. In the US 33.4% of solid waste is either recycled or composted. 12.6% is burned in combustion facilities, and 54% makes it's way into landfills.

WHY: We should recycle to reduce global warming, to pevent air pollution, to prevent water pollution, to save energy and to solve the problem of scarcity of landfills. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is a major contributor to global warming. Factories and industries manufacturing items made from plastic and metals release large amounts of toxic gases. Recycling paper saves almost 65% energy than making new sheets of paper.

HOW: Here is a list of things you can do to reduce garbage: 1. Use a reusable lunch bag or box so you won't need to throw away a paper bag everyday. 2. When you make a purchase, don't take a bag unless you absolutely need one. 3. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. 4. Use a sponge intstead of paper towels. 5. Look for items that use little or no packaging. 6. Use plates, cups and utensils that can be washed instead of one's you throw away.

My family recycled for one week the above graph shows how much trash we recycled.

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