What Can Be Recycled: Classroom Edition

Do you ever wonder which items can actually be recycled? Sometimes I put things in the recycling bin, wondering if the workers have to fish them out at the recycling center. Or I throw something in the trash, thinking it probably can’t be recycled.

I’ve compiled a list of what can and can’t be recycled – classroom edition. Some of the information may vary depending on where you live, of course. But this is a great chance for teachers to model recycling and conserving resources at school.

Yes- these things can usually be recycled:

• Staples
• Construction paper
• Bottle caps
• Scotch tape (small amounts)
• Ziploc bags (after cleaning, they can be taken to the plastic bag collection boxes in grocery store entryways)
• Crayola markers (some schools participate in a Crayola ColorCycle recycling program)

No- these things usually can’t be recycled:

• Paper with glue on it
• Paper with paint on it
• Photographs
• Pencils
• Laminated paper
• Stickers
• Sticky notes (you can throw the sticky part in the trash and recycle the plain paper)

Click here for the printable cheat sheet that you can refer back to or post near your recycling bin.

If your school doesn’t have bins for all of these items, you can possibly take some items home and recycle them there. You might have to create your own labeled bins at school so it’s easy for kids to put items where they belong.

Teachers already have so many things to think about. Even if you can pick one thing that you’re not currently recycling at school, that would be awesome! Let’s heal the earth, one small action at a time.

If you were to pick one thing to start recycling that you didn’t before, what would it be?

This guest post is by Carrie Lane. She’s taught 1st and 2nd grades and has enjoyed tutoring reading throughout her career. She blogs about teaching, being a mom, children’s books, green living, and more at the My Book Boost blog. She can also be found on Teachers Pay Teachers.