What will I be
when they recycle me? (Roll
hands in a circle.)
What will I be
when they recycle me?
What will I be
when they recycle me?
I’ll come back to
life—you will see! (Clap
your hands and then point your finger.)
I am an empty soda
can (Pretend to hold a soda can in
front of you.)
Made of precious
aluminum.
I can save lots of
energy
If you will
recycle me. (Roll hands in a
circle.)
I’m an old bottle
of plastic (Pretend to hold
a plastic bottle.)
But I could be
fantastic!
Toys, pipes, car
bumpers, and much more—
That’s what my
plastic is for. (Roll hands
in a circle.)
A pile of used
boxes and papers we (Make an
invisible square in the air.)
Come from the
precious wood of trees.
Recycled we’ll be
as good as new (Roll hands
in a circle.)
And save some
other trees, too.
I am a fine jar
made of glass— (Cup
hands to make a bowl.)
Please don’t treat
me like plain old trash!
(Shake head “no.”)
I’ll make new jars
again and again
Recycle me—yes you
can! (Roll hands in a
circle.)
Though we may look
like old used stuff, (Open
palms.)
Stop, wait! Please
don’t give up on us! (Make sign
language for “stop.”)
Think of the great
possibilities— (Put index finger
on your head and tap.)
Recycle us, set us
free! (Roll hands in a circle and
then throw up hands in the air.)
Activities:
*Let children
write original stories about “My Life as a Can” or “There’s Another Life for
This Bottle.”
*Make a time line
of the life of a can, bottle, and/or piece of paper.
*Take a field trip
to a recycling center in your area.
*Visit
reusableresources.org to learn more about renewable resources.
*Start a recycling
center in your classroom, school, or community.
*Have a book fair
where children bring old books from home and exchange them with friends.
