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At the bottom of each plastic container, there is a number that goes from 1 to 6; number 7 means the
container is non-recyclable (all other resins and layered multimaterial).
#1: PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is used for soda bottles, peanut butter jars, etc.
Carpeting is made of recycled PET
#2: HDPE (high density polyethylene) is lightweight and colorful; it is to be found in milk jugs, butter
tubs, detergent bottles, motor oil containers and bleach bottles.
HDPE is recycled into flowerpots, trash cans, traffic barriers or recycling bins.
#3: PVC (vinyl or polyvinyl chloride) is used in bottles for water shampoo or cooking oil, garden hoses,
flooring, credit cards, shower curtains, etc.
#4: LDPE (low-density polyethylene) wrap packaging on cassettes and CDs, sandwich bags, dry-cleaning
plastic. It is thin and filmy.
#5 Polypropylene makes the plastic bottle caps, lids, drinking straws, broom, rope, twine, yogurt
containers, carpet. It is the lightest plastic, but hard to recycle.
#6: Styrofoam or polystyrene foam. This plastic is completely non-recyclable therefore hard to recycle.
However, some industries turn it into light switch plates, note pad holders, cassette tape cases.
Other: Wool can be recycled and rewoven; cotton fibers can give quality paper; rubber from tires is made
into paving roads, playgrounds, runways.
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Basic essential terms you must know:
Write the meaning of those words as the definitions come to you:
Recycle: ___________________________________________________________
Precycle: ___________________________________________________________
Ecosystem: __________________________________________________________
Let’s look more closely at the basic signification, or etymology, of these words:
Look up in a dictionary:
Can you find the etymology of these words looking at the stem word (prepositions) and the root word?
Can you find examples of words beginning with:
Re-________________________________________________________________
Can you guess a meaning of the preposition re-:
_________________________________________________________________
Do the same for the prepositions and root words:
Prepositions:
Pre-
Examples: _________________________________________________________________
Meanings: _________________________________________________________________
Eco-
Examples: _______________________________________________________________
Meanings: _______________________________________________________________
Geo-
Examples: _______________________________________________________________
Meanings: _______________________________________________________________
Root words;
-cycle
Examples: ________________________________________________________________
Meanings: ________________________________________________________________
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