Lesson 59: Let's Look at Garbage!Sort It! Jenny has emptied two bags of garbage onto the floor. That's a lot of garbage!says Danny. Can I help you sort it? Yes,please,says Jenny. I'm putting the glass here,the metal here,the plastic here,andthe paper here. What are these other things?asks Danny. That's everything that isn't glass,metal,plastic or paper,saysJenny. Thanks for your help Danny! You're welcome!A Mountain of Garbage How much garbage does a person in North America throw away eachyear? Every year,each person in North Americamakes about 1,000kilograms of garbage. That's the same weight as a small car!What's in it? 160 kilograms of paper 125 kilograms of grass and leaves 50 kilograms of food 45 kilograms of glass 25 kilograms of metal 25 kilograms of plastic 20 kilograms of cardboard 10 kilograms of wood 10 kilograms of diapers 5 kilograms of clothes other things Babies wear diapers. Many families in North America use diapers made of paper andplastic. What makes the most garbage?Packaging.What's packaging? When you buy something it might come in a box or a plastic bag. The box or bag might have words and pictures on it. That's packaging.About one-third of North American garbagecomes from packaging! People don't even use packaging!People just throw it away! Why is packaging a problem?About ten percent of packaging isplastic. Most garbage turns into soil. But not plastic!Plastic is plastic for years and years afteryou throw it away. What doesturn intomean?A boyturns intoa man. Springturns intosummer.Now do you know? FASCINATING FACT In just one day,Americans throw out 136 million kilograms ofpackaging. This would fill about ten thousand trucks!
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