Grade 2 (age 7-8)

grade 2 Recycling & Protecting Earth

Things we use and throw away can become useful resources again if we sort them by what they are made of. Putting things made of different materials, such as paper, plastic, glass and cans, into the right bins is called sorting for recycling. Sorting well saves the wood, oil and minerals used to make new things, and it cuts down the rubbish that is buried or burned. Choose a bin in the picture to see what goes in it.

Sorting our rubbish

Choose a binPaper

♻️ Why sort our rubbish?

①Only when the same materials are collected together can they be melted or pulped and made into new things

②Recycling saves the wood, oil and minerals used to make new things

③Less rubbish is buried or burned, so the land and air stay cleaner

Which bin does it go in?

📰 Paper

①Newspapers, boxes, books, notebooks and toilet roll tubes

②Take off tape, and leave out anything with food on it

③Recycling paper means fewer trees are cut down to make new paper

♻️ Plastic

①Plastic bottles, shampoo bottles and plastic cups

②Rinse them out with water before putting them in

③Take the label off a plastic bottle and squash it flat

🫙 Glass / cans and metal

①Only glass bottles and jars go in the glass bin; broken glass, mirrors and pottery do not

②Things made of metal, such as drink cans, tin cans and nails, go with cans and metal

③Take the caps off bottles and put them out separately

Ways to protect the Earth

🌍 What we can do

①Sort rubbish by material

②Save water and electricity

③Use a refillable bottle and a shopping bag instead of throwaway cups and plastic bags

④Take only as much food as you will eat

⑤Plant and look after trees

🌱 Small steps add up

①The rubbish one person throws away in a day may look small, but when a whole class cuts down together it adds up to a lot

②Don't think "one person won't matter"; start with yourself

③Begin by putting today's plastic bottle in the right bin

Summary

🎯 Recycling and the Earth in short

①Sort rubbish into paper, plastic, glass, cans and metal, and general waste

②Rinse things clean so they can be recycled

③Save water and electricity and use fewer throwaway things

④Sorting rules differ a little from place to place, so follow your town's guide

Examples and Unit Test

Example 1

Why do we sort our rubbish by type?

Sorting by type lets us pick out the things that can be used again.

It saves resources and cuts down rubbish, keeping the Earth cleaner.

▸ To save resources, reduce rubbish and keep the Earth clean

Recycling paper means fewer trees have to be cut down.

Example 2

Which bin do newspapers, boxes and books go in?

Newspapers, boxes and books are all made of paper.

So they go in the paper bin; leave out any part with food on it and put in only clean paper.

▸ Paper (newspapers, boxes and books are paper)

Choose the paper bin in the picture and the newspaper, box, book and toilet roll tube appear together.

Unit Test

Which bin does a plastic water bottle go in?

①Paper

②Plastic

③Glass

④Cans/Metal

⑤General waste

▸ ② Plastic

A plastic water bottle is made of plastic.

So it goes in the plastic bin; it is even better to rinse it and take off the label.

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Last updated 2026-10-17