Recycling and Waste Management

Rewards for Recycling

1. Many people try to recycle as much as they can. Still, lots of plastic, glass, and other recyclable materials end up in the trash. This means they go to a landfill instead of being used again. City lawmakers need to do more to make sure people recycle. The best way to do that is to reward people for recycling.

2. Recycling can be confusing. In some places, plastic, paper, glass, and metal can all go in the same bin. In other places, each material must go in its own bin. Many cities and neighborhoods have their own ways of collecting recycling. In one poll, most people who do not recycle said it is too difficult where they live.

3. Rewarding people would give them a reason to make the effort to recycle. Most people know that recycling is good for the planet. But it can be hard to understand how recycling is helpful. The bottles and cans just seem to disappear. A reward gives people a personal benefit.

4. People already get rewarded for recycling in some areas. Some U.S. states let people return empty containers in exchange for money. People bring in their bottles and cans for counting. Each item earns them five to fifteen cents. People in these states tend to recycle more than those in other states.

5. Cities can give rewards like this to get people to recycle more. One city in Brazil lets citizens trade recyclable items for food. Another idea is to weigh each family’s recycling. Then the city can lower their trash bill based on the weight.

6. People should recycle because it is the right thing to do. But the truth is, that does not always happen. Local lawmakers should make recycling more fun for everyone by offering rewards. That way, they can help their people and the planet at the same time.

Laws for Less Trash

1. We know our city needs to recycle more. A law about recycling can help us do that. Then, recycling will become a regular part of life.

2. San Francisco, California, has been successful at getting people to recycle. A law there says that people must sort out recyclables from trash. Each home has a blue recycling bin and a black trash bin. People can choose to have a smaller black bin so they will fill it with less trash. San Francisco sends a lot less of its waste to landfills than most other places in the United States. A law like this could help increase recycling in our city.

3. Another option is to reward people to improve recycling. This is a bad idea. Already, about one of every four items put in a recycling bin is trash that cannot be recycled. Rewards would make this problem worse. People would just want to fill the bin. The recycling company might be unable to sort out the trash. Then, all the items would have to go into a landfill. People would get rewards for recycling even though their items were not truly recycled. This would be like throwing away our city’s money.

4. People need clear messages about how to recycle. This is true based on a study from 2015. Researchers found that repeated reminders were better than rewards at getting people to recycle more. Such reminders can share other ways to make less trash. People should buy sturdy objects to reuse for a long time. That way, fewer disposable objects will be made in the first place.

5. Our city could make less trash than anywhere in the whole world. But we do not need rewards to do it. We just need laws and reminders about recycling correctly.

What is the meaning of the word effort in paragraph 3 of the selection "Rewards for Recycling"?

In paragraph 2 of the selection "Rewards for Recycling," what opinion does the author use to explain why some people do not recycle?

What is the most likely reason the author included the illustration in the selection "Rewards for Recycling"?

Which claim does the author make in the selection "Laws for Less Trash"?

In paragraph 4 of the selection "Laws for Less Trash," the details about reminders support the key idea that -

What is one way that the authors of BOTH the selection "Rewards for Recycling" and the selection "Laws for Less Trash" support their claims?

How are the ideas about recycling in the selection, "Rewards for Recycling" DIFFERENT from the ideas in the selection "Laws for Less Trash"?

Which messages do BOTH the selection "Rewards for Recycling" and the selection "Laws for Less Trash" share

Read the selections "Rewards for Recycling" and "Laws for Less Trash." Based on the information in the selections, write a response to the following:

Explain your opinion about why people should or should not be rewarded for recycling.

Write a well-organized argumentative essay that uses specific evidence from the selections to support your answer.

Remember to -

-clearly state your central idea

-organize your writing

-develop your ideas in detail

-use evidence from the selections in your response

-use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar