Increase Recycling: Metals
Articles/Websites
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APEarth and Space Sciences, Economics
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Project Drawdown
What it is
- This article explores recycling as a climate solution, offering specific data and information regarding recycling metals.
- There are also sections for recycling plastics, paper and cardboard, and glass. Users will need to toggle using the tabs on the data visualizations for metals-specific data.
- The article examines the environmental impact of raw material production, the benefits of reusing materials, and how much CO2 equivalent emissions can be reduced if recycling continues to expand.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This article also addresses shortcomings and expenses associated with recycling metal, giving students a full spectrum of pros and cons.
- With all materials contained in the same article, students will easily be able to compare the benefits of recycling each material.
Prerequisites
- Students should know what greenhouse gases are and how they impact the environment.
Differentiation & Implementation
- To assess prior knowledge, the teacher can ask the class questions about metal recycling before reading the article.
- For this article, it may be beneficial for students to use a graphic organizer or teacher input to ensure comprehension of key concepts.
- This article can support a lesson on different types of recycling and their positive impact on the environment.
- This article can enhance a classroom discussion or support student-written informative essays about how much metal recycling is happening in America and how the current rate could increase.
From the scientist review
This article discusses recycling metals and how focusing on recycling can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts. The study demonstrates this by predicting how much metal will be needed in the future and calculating the greenhouse gas emissions when different amounts of metal are recycled. The article is organized similarly to a scientific paper in the way it breaks down this climate solution into an introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion sections. The limitations of the study are also included. This structure makes this resource a good example of how scientific articles are often structured. Resources are included. The information presented is accurate and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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