Recycling Game Instructions

Select Team players: Evenly divide students into 5 teams. Students should
be sitting in a group in order to consult on the correct answers. The first team to
quietly get themselves in a small group, will play first.

Begin Game by putting the file in “Presentation Mode.”

1. Start game by clicking a number on the score board to be directed to the first
question. A question will appear to ask the first team. Set a timer for each
question (allow either 30 seconds or 1 minute to discuss and answer the
question).
2. Once the team has answered, click the question one more time for the official
answer to appear.
3. If the team answered correctly, the number of points selected on the score
board will be given to that team.
4. Click on the white arrow on the bottom of the screen to jump back to the score
board for the game to continue.
* Some questions have a chance for a bonus question. Click on the bonus box if it
appears to be directed to the bonus question. Each bonus question will open up
the opportunity to all teams to answer additional questions for 10 points each.
Before playing the game, we recommend you show your students
these videos so they can obtain the knowledge needed to answer
some of the questions.

Life of a Plastic Bottle

Life of an Aluminum Can

20 20 20 20 20

30 30 30 30 30

40 40 40 40 40

50 50 50 50 50
‘IS IT RECYCLABLE’ FOR 10 POINTS

Question:
Can you recycle a plastic bottle
with “#1 PETE” embossed on it?

Answer:
Yes!
‘IS IT RECYCLABLE’ FOR 20 POINTS

Question:
Can you recycle a “slim” (7.5 oz or 8 oz)
aluminum can?

Answer:
Yes!
‘IS IT RECYCLABLE’ FOR 30 POINTS

Question:
Can you recycle steel?

Answer:
Yes!
Steel cans are generally accepted through most curbside recycling
programs. Pots and pans and other types of steel are often
accepted too and if not they can usually be recycled through
scrap metal companies.
‘IS IT RECYCLABLE’ FOR 40 POINTS

Question:
Can you recycle a used mobile phone or
electronic tablet?

Answer:
Yes!
Most electronics, such as mobile phones and tablets, are recyclable through a local
electronic waste program. Contact your local recycling program or electronics
retailers to find out where you can take old electronics.
‘IS IT RECYCLABLE’ FOR 50 POINTS

Question:
Name 6 Different Items That Are
Recyclable

Answer:
Click through to the Bonus Question to reveal
possible answers!

Bonus Question!
‘HOW TO RECYCLE’ FOR 10 POINTS

Question:
How do you know if a plastic object is
recyclable?

Answer:
Look for a recycling symbol on the bottom. If
you see one, then make sure your local
recycling hauler accepts that type of plastic.
‘HOW TO RECYCLE’ FOR 20 POINTS

Question:
True or False?: You drank a couple sips out of a bottle but
don’t want to finish it. It’s fine to throw it into the recycling
bin without dumping the liquid out first.

Answer:
False! Always make sure liquids have been poured out! If
a lot of liquid is left in bottles or containers, it will
contaminate the other materials. Excess liquids can make
materials like paper soggy and unable to be recycled.
‘HOW TO RECYCLE’ FOR 30 POINTS

Question:
True or False?: You do not need to crush aluminum
cans before putting them in a recycling bin

Answer:
True, the automatic sorting equipment may have an
easier time separating them from other materials if
cans are not crushed.
‘HOW TO RECYCLE’ FOR 40 POINTS

Question:
What are the three steps to recycling a
material?

Answer:
1) Check (to make sure it’s recyclable)
2) Empty (to eliminate contaminants)
3) Recycle – place it in a recycling bin or drop it off
at a recycling center
‘HOW TO RECYCLE’ FOR 50 POINTS

Question:
Name at least 4 different places where you can find a
recycling bin

Answer:
Click through to the Bonus Question to reveal possible
answers!

Bonus Question!
‘THE RECYCLING PROCESS’ FOR 10 POINTS

Question:
After recyclables are picked up from your
school, where do they go next?

Answer:
The Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
Other acceptable answers depending on specificity
and local infrastructure: Truck (front-end loader, box
truck, etc.), Recycling Center, Transfer Station.
‘THE RECYCLING PROCESS’ FOR 20 POINTS

Question:
True or False?: Once plastic bottles are separated
from other materials at a Materials Recovery Facility,
they don’t need to be cleaned or processed in any
other way before being made into new bottles.

Answer:
False. The material must be chopped into flakes, thoroughly
washed, cleaned, dried, and converted into resin pellets before
being ready to become a new bottle.
‘THE RECYCLING PROCESS’ FOR 30 POINTS

Question:
After being separated from other materials, large
amounts of each type of recyclable are typically
compacted into a _______?
a. Pack b. Bale
c. Super Sack d. Bunch

Answer:
b. Bale
‘THE RECYCLING PROCESS’ FOR 40 POINTS

Question:
At the Materials Recovery facility, aluminum cans are
separated from other materials using a _________.
a. Tommy Current b. Freddy Current
c. Eddy Current d. Magnetic Current

Answer:
b. Eddy Current
‘THE RECYCLING PROCESS’ FOR 50 POINTS

Question:
Name three different technologies or techniques that
Material Recovery Facilities (or MRFs) use to separate
various types of recyclable materials from each other.

Answer:
Click through to the Bonus Question to reveal possible
answers!

Bonus Question!
‘PLASTIC OR ALUMIUM’ FOR 10 POINTS

Question:
The virgin form of this material is made
using petroleum (oil) and natural gas.
Note: “virgin” means made from raw materials, not recycled
materials

Answer:
Plastic
‘PLASTIC OR ALUMIUM’ FOR 20 POINTS

Question:
This material is made from digging the
mineral Bauxite from underground.

Answer:
Aluminum
‘PLASTIC OR ALUMIUM’ FOR 30 POINTS

Question:
When not turned back into beverage
containers, this material is often recycled
into carpets or clothing.

Answer:
Plastic
‘PLASTIC OR ALUMIUM’ FOR 40 POINTS

Question:
The recycling process can happen so quickly for this
material that it can be back on the shelf as a new
beverage container within as little as 60 days after you
drop it in a recycling bin.

Answer:
Aluminum
Source: The Aluminum Association
‘PLASTIC OR ALUMIUM’ FOR 50 POINTS

Question:
What type of material can be identified by a recycling
symbol with the number 9 inside of it?

Answer:
Neither! While you can find a recycling symbol with a
number inside on plastic containers, they only go from
#1 - #7.

Bonus Question!
‘RECYCLING FACTS’ FOR 10 POINTS

Question:
Recycled aluminum cans can be made into which
of the following?
a. Airplane b. Bicycle
c. Aluminum Can d. All of the above

Answer:
d. All of the above
‘RECYCLING FACTS’ FOR 20 POINTS

Question:
Out of every 10 bottles and cans consumed in the
U.S., about how many of them are recycled?
a) 1 b) 3
c) 4 d) 8

Answer:
c) 4
Source: American Beverage Association (ABA)
‘RECYCLING FACTS’ FOR 30 POINTS

Question:
What does it mean to “Close the Loop?”

Answer:
Recycle an item so its useful life can continue instead of
ending its life by discarding it into a landfill or burning it.
Instead of going in a straight line (from start to finish) the
lifecycle goes in a circle, or loop, (from start to used to start
again).
‘RECYCLING FACTS’ FOR 40 POINTS

Question:
Of the following materials, which one has the highest
recycling rate?
a. Aluminum b. Electronics (cell phones, computers, etc.)
c. Car Tires d. Plastic #1 PETE bottles
Answer:
a. Aluminum
‘RECYCLING FACTS’ FOR 50 POINTS

Question:
List at least 3 reasons why you should recycle.

Answer:
Click through to the Bonus Question to reveal possible
answers!

Bonus Round!
 ‘IS IT RECYCLABLE’

Bonus Question!
Each person who can name one additional
recyclable material will earn 10 points for his/her
team!

Possible Answers:
plastic beverage bottles, milk jugs, milk cartons, yogurt
containers, plastic cleaning supply bottles, plastic jugs, glass
bottles, glass jars, aluminum cans, steel cans, cardboard boxes,
cereal boxes, newspaper, office paper, etc.
 ‘HOW TO RECYCLE’

Bonus Question!
Each person who can name an additional place
to recycle will earn 10 points for his/her team!

Possible Answers:
Home, playground, gym, school office, library, local park,
movie theater, local recreation center
 ‘THE RECYCLING PROCESS’

Bonus Question!
Each person who can name an additional technology or
technique that Material Recovery Facilities (or MRFs) use
to separate various types of recyclable materials will earn
10 points for his/her team!

Possible Answers:
Magnets, varying speeds, float/sink processes, air blows, gaps
between conveyors, screens, eddy currents, visual inspections,
etc.
 Bonus Question!
Match the recycling symbols on the left to the type of
plastic on the right
Start with a team that did not have an opportunity to answer the 50 point
question in this category. Begin by identifying an answer for #1 and if the
answer is correct, proceed to #2. If the answer is incorrect, allow the next team
to attempt the same # and continue to do so until the correct answer is
determined.

#1 PVC
#2 PETE or PET
#3 PP
#4 HDPE
#5 PS
#6 OTHER
#7 LDPE
 RECYCLING FACTS’

Bonus Question!
Each person who can name an
additional reason to recycle will earn 10
points for their team!

Possible Answers:
Possible answers: Preserve natural resources, better use of
land, prevent pollution, emit fewer greenhouse gases, use
less energy in the manufacturing process, enhance national
security, support economic/job growth, etc.