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Natural resources were once thought to be virtually limitless. Landfills were
considered to be the cheap and easy way to dispose of discarded materials.
Today, we know there are limits to both. How do we address these limits? Simple
– recycle.
Recycling is a way we can conserve natural resources and limit the volume of
refuse that ends up in our landfills. By making the effort to recycle, we
conserve limited resources for future use and divert many items from landfills.
This saves energy and also reduces air and water pollution.
Many TxDOT activities produce waste items that can and are recycled. These
items include waste paper (from office use), asphalt and concrete (from
re-paving projects), tires and motor oil (from TxDOT cars and trucks), and scrap
metal (from used signs, guardrails, etc.).
TxDOT also uses numerous products made from recycled materials – about $78
million-worth a year. Recycled paper is used to publish TxDOT documents.
Recapped tires and re-refined motor oil are used in TxDOT vehicles. Waste
materials, such as fly ash, are used in road base. Crumb rubber (from ground-up
scrap tires) has been used in asphalt mix.
The intent of this kit is to introduce students to recycling and the related
field of composting. After all, the resources that these children conserve will
benefit all generations to come. Each kit contains:
- Teacher’s Guide and lesson plans that fulfill specific TEKS objectives.
- "What is Recyclable?"
poster [pdf, 1 page, 609kb]
- Two composting brochures and one recycling brochure
- Video featuring "Did You Know…? The Road to Recycling" and Eye on Earth
episode "Waste Not, Want Not."
To receive your free kit, send your name, name of your school and address to:
Texas Department of Transportation
Attention: Communications
Environmental Affairs Division
125 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX 78701-2483
Or e-mail us. Please specify
which materials you want. |
