Grades K-2 Waste
1. Who picks up the waste and recyclables that people leave at the curb?
A. refuse haulers
B. volunteer coordinators
Grades 3-5 Waste
1. Who keeps conveyor belts and other machinery in a recycling center running?
A. industrial machinery mechanics
B. refuse and recyclable material collectors
C. materials scientists
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
2. Who organizes recycling for towns and cities?
A. recycling coordinators
B. repair persons
Grades 3-5 Waste
2. Who searches for new things to do with materials collected for recycling?
A. materials scientists
B. industrial machinery mechanics
C. recycling plant managers
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
3. Which thing in a kitchen garbage can could be composted?
A. potato peels
B. an empty ceral box
Grades 3-5 Waste
3. Which of these methods of collecting recyclables is easiest for people to participate in?
A. curbside, mixed waste
B. curbside, single stream recycling
C. drop-off center, sorted recyclables
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
4. Which things can be composted?
A. potato peels, leaves, apple cores
B. cans, bottles, paper
Grades 3-5 Waste
4. What is it called when the recyclables are separated from the waste and from each other before they are picked up by a truck?
A. source separated recycling
B. salvaging
C. mixed waste recycling
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
5. Which group of things is organic?
A. banana peels, egg shells, leaves and twigs
B. sand, gravel, rocks
Grades 3-5 Waste
5. Polyethylene Terephthalate is used for plastic soda and water bottles. What number is it?
A. number 1
B. number 2
C. number 3
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
6. What happens to things in a garbage can if they are not recycled, reused or composted?
A. they go to a landfill
B. they are made into art
Grades 3-5 Waste
6. Low Density Polyethylene is used for plastic shopping bags, and squeezable bottles. What number is it?
A. number 4
B. number 2
C. number 1
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
7. Where does litter go if no one picks it up?
A. rain washes it into the nearest stream
B. it stays where it is dropped
Grades 3-5 Waste
7. Which plastics can be recycled into fleece, tote bags, carpeting or new containers?
A. number 1s
B. number 2s
C. number 3s
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
8. What is the most littered item in the world (by number)?
A. cigarette butts
B. drink cups
Grades 3-5 Waste
8. Which plastics can be recycled into trash can liners?
A. number 4s
B. number 1s
C. number 6s
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
9. If a person makes 5 lbs of waste each day, and then recycles 2 lbs, how many pounds go to the landfill?
A. 3 lbs
B. 5 lbs
Grades 3-5 Waste
9. A laptop can run 5 hours on the energy saved by recycling one aluminum can. How many hours could the laptop run if 10 cans were recycled?
A. 50 hours
B. 21 hours
C. 25 hours
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
10. What is a material that is hard, brittle and often transparent?
A. glass
B. metal
Grades 3-5 Waste
10. A ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees. How many trees would be saved if 5 tons of paper were recycled?
A. 85 trees
B. 17 trees
C. 170 trees
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
11. Which words mean the same thing?
A. waste, garbage, trash, refuse
B. chair, flower, sunlight, purple
Grades 3-5 Waste
11. Which materials on a recycling conveyor belt can magnetic fields pick out?
A. aluminum cans
B. plastic
C. paper
CORRECT: A, A
Grades K-2 Waste
12. Which things might you find in a school waste can?
A. a broken crayon or torn paper
B. an empty cereal box or a potato peel
Grades 3-5 Waste
12. Who picks up recyclable materials from the curb?
A. recycling plant managers
B. industrial machinery mechanics
C. refuse collectors
CORRECT: A, C
Grades K-2 Waste
13What is a material that is hard, shiny and bendable?
A. metal
B. plastic
Grades 3-5 Waste
13. What effect would returnable nickle or dime deposits have on where containers end up?
A. more cans and bottles go to a landfill
B. more cans and bottles are littered
C. more cans and bottles are recycled
CORRECT: A, C
Grades K-2 Waste
14. Which thing in a kitchen garbage can could be recycled?
A. an empty cereal box
B. tennis shoes
Grades 3-5 Waste
14. What is it called when the recyclables and other waste are all put in one bag before they are picked up by a truck?
A. single stream recycling
B. source separated recycling
C. mixed waste recycling
CORRECT: A, C
Grades K-2 Waste
15. Which things can be recycled?
A. cans, bottles, paper
B. potato peels, leaves, apple cores
Grades 3-5 Waste
15. What is it called when someone sorts through waste left at the curb to find useful or valuable items before the waste is picked up by a truck?
A. mixed waste recycling
B. single stream recycling
C. salvaging
CORRECT: A, C
Grades K-2 Waste
16. What kind of metal is used for beverage cans?
A. aluminum
B. tin
Grades 3-5 Waste
16. High Density Polyethylene is used for plastic milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles.What number is it?
A. number 3
B. number 4
C. number 2
CORRECT: A,C
Grades K-2 Waste
17. What does it mean to use less of something for a job or assignment?
A. to reduce
B. to recycle
Grades 3-5 Waste
17. Polypropylene is used for yogurt containers, bottle caps, straws and medicine bottles. What number is it?
A. number 2
B. number 1
C. number 5
CORRECT: A, C
Grades K-2 Waste
18. Which things can be reused?
A. tennis shoes, baseballs, story books
B. cans, bottles, paper
Grades 3-5 Waste
18. Which plastics can be recycled into laundry detergent bottles, plastic lumber or recycling containers?
A. number 4s
B. number 5s
C. number 2s
CORRECT: A, C
Grades K-2 Waste
19. Who organizes events for picking up litter?
A. recycling coordinators
B. volunteer coordinators
Grades 3-5 Waste
19. Which plastics can be recycled into brooms, brushes, ice scrapers, rakes or pallets?
A. number 1s
B. number 2s
C. number 5s
CORRECT: B, C
Grades K-2 Waste
20. Who fixes things that are broken so they can be used again instead of thrown away?
A. refuse haulers
B. repair persons
Grades 3-5 Waste
20. A laptop can run 2 hours on the energy saved by recycling one glass bottle. How many hours could the laptop run if 100 glass bottles were recycled?
A. 20 hours
B. 2 hours
C. 200 hours
CORRECT: B, C
Grades K-2 Waste
21. What does it mean to let leftover organic matter rot or decompose?
A. to recycle
B. to compost
Grades 3-5 Waste
21. Which materials on a recycling conveyor belt can strong magnets pick out?
A. paper
B. plastic
C. steel cans
CORRECT: B, C
Grades K-2 Waste
22. What do you call something that is living or comes from living things?
A. metal
B. organic
Grades 3-5 Waste
22. Which materials on a recycling conveyor belt are usually the only thing left at the end?
A. aluminum cans
B. steel cans
C. glass
CORRECT: B, C
Grades K-2 Waste
23. What is needed for composting to work well?
A. a cold spot
B. a warm spot
Grades 3-5 Waste
23. Who runs recycling facilities and keeps track of all the people, machines and the jobs they do?
A. refuse and recyclable material collectors
B. recycling plant managers
C. materials scientists
CORRECT: B,C
Grades K-2 Waste
24. What is waste that people throw or accidentally drop on the ground called?
A. recyclables
B. litter
Grades 3-5 Waste
24. What is curbside recycling?
A. people box up their recyclables and mail them
B. people put their recyclables at the curb to be picked up by a truck
C. everyone takes their recyclables to a drop-off center to be picked up
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
25. Which things will decompose in less than six months if left outside?
A. cans or bottles
B. food, leaves, grass clippings
Grades 3-5 Waste
25. What is it called when all the recyclables are separate from the waste but combined with each other before they are picked up by a truck?
A. salvaging
B. single stream recycling
C. source separated recycling
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
26. What happens during a litter cleanup?
A. a business hires someone to pick up litter
B. volunteers join together to pick up litter
Grades 3-5 Waste
26. Which kind of plastics can most towns and cities recycle?
A. 3s and 4s
B. 1s and 2s
C. anything with a number
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
27. What is a material that can be molded into different shapes?
A. rocks
B. plastic
Grades 3-5 Waste
27. Polyvinyl chloride is used for waste water pipes and siding on houses. What number is it?
A. number 1
B. number 3
C. number 2
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
28. What is a material made from fibers of plants that are pressed together?
A. metal
B. paper
Grades 3-5 Waste
28. Polystyrene is used for foam cups and plates. What number is it?
A. number 1
B. number 6
C. number 2
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
29. Which things might you find in a kitchen garbage can?
A. an empty shampoo bottle or a broken comb
B. an empty cereal box or a potato peel
Grades 3-5 Waste
29. Which plastics are hard to recycle because they can give off chlorine gas when heated?
A. number 2s
B. number 3s
C. number 1s
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
30. Each person makes about 5 lbs of waste each day. How much waste would 2 people make each day?
A. 5 lbs
B. 10 lbs
Grades 3-5 Waste
30. Which plastics are almost never accepted for recycling at curbside programs?
A. number 2s
B. number 6s
C. number 1s
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
31. What does it mean to make new, but similar things from things that are thrown away
A. to reduce
B. to recycle
Grades 3-5 Waste
31. If the deposit on a soda can is 5 cents, how many soda cans are needed to earn $1?
A. 10 cans
B. 20 cans
C. 25 cans
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
32. Which thing in a school waste can could be recycled?
A. used kleenex
B. torn paper
Grades 3-5 Waste
32. Which materials on a recycling conveyor belt can spectroscopic scanners pick out?
A. aluminum cans
B. plastic
C. steel cans
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
33. What does a symbol with 3 arrows bent into a triangle mean?
A. reuse
B. recycle
Grades 3-5 Waste
33. What is a loop of material that rotates around two pulleys and that moves objects along?
A. a sorting bin
B. a conveyor belt
C. a wheel
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
34. What kind of metal is used for food cans?
A. aluminum
B. steel
Grades 3-5 Waste
34. Which thing can be made into exactly the same kind of thing that was recycled?
A. plastic water bottles
B. aluminum cans
C. colored glass
CORRECT: B, B
Grades K-2 Waste
35. What does it mean to use something more than once before throwing it away?
A. to recycle
B. to reuse
Grades 3-5 Waste
35. Which thing can only be made into something different from what was recycled?
A. aluminum cans
B. plastic water bottles
C. cardboard
CORRECT: B, B