Mid Michigan Waste Authority - Get Into Recycle-Motion!

4R 4Ever Supplemental Enviro-Education Program

The 4R 4Ever Program is a supplemental program just for schools who have completed the 4REE program. 4R 4Ever was designed to further reinforce the lifelong 4R habits taught in 4REE of reduce, reuse, recycle & re-buy solid waste materials, instead of needlessly sending these materials to the landfill.

To earn a 4R 4Ever school designation, participating schools must successfully complete a minimum of three (3) of the 14 program activities. Participation is easy and, as always, free. Schools just pick from the list of activities and send in an application form to MMWA.

Schools have an exciting list of activities to choose from, such as implementing a school-wide policy of reusing/recycling used school supplies. Maybe host a book, toy or clothing swap, or hold a locker/desk clean-out. Or, have your students create student art from waste materials. There’s even a fill-in-the-blank activity to let your 4R imagination run wild!

Schools have until May 15 of the participating school year to complete the chosen activities and file the 4R 4Ever certification form with MMWA. Schools successfully completing all selected program requirements are eligible for 4R- themed books and other interesting 4R/recycling awards, plus a certificate of completion.

Environmental Education Presentation Program

The E2P2 program offers schools access to a variety of individual class lessons in environmental stewardship. This free program from MMWA teaches students valuable and fun enviro lessons which meet specific Michigan Learning Standards in various disciplines. Fun and creative class activities are also available, featuring trash to treasure crafts or several book readings and lessons.

Since the program began in 2005, E2P2 has taught lessons about comprehensive solid waste management to more than 9500 students in 25 schools.

Available E2P2 lessons/activities

Exploring Green Goods – Grades K-12

What happens to the materials put into recycling bins everyday? Students learn how recyclable materials are transformed into new green products by investigating the recycling process and new product production. They also learn how to identify a recycled product in order to help complete the recycling loop by re-buying: buying items made with recycled content.

Its a Garbage Pizza! – Grades 2-8

Students learn how they create trash and what makes up America’s trash. This lesson teaches students how to reduce the impact on our landfills and resources by discovering smart alternatives to simply throwing unwanted items away. The centerpiece of the lesson is creating a pizza representing the 7 categories of waste.

Incredible Edible Landfill – Grades K-6

Students travel back in time and learn the history of garbage, landfilling and the importance of the 4R’s. This lesson culminates with students understanding the dynamics of landfill structure by building an edible landfill model.

Recycled Paper – Grades 4-8

Journey through the life of a piece of paper as it moves from a tree to wood pulp to the flattening and rolling during paper production. Students learn about their trash habits and experience the paper recycling process as they recycle old paper into a new piece of paper.

Worms Eat Our Garbage – Grades 3-8

Students discover how redworms can play a part in reducing the amount of organic waste sent to the landfill by building and maintaining a classroom worm bin. Students will learn the basics of red worms, how to maintain a healthy worm bin and the variety of organics manageable by this process.

Books or Crafts (5 Activities) – Grades K-4

Students get hands-on learning as they make memory books from old cereal boxes, create ornaments from empty toilet paper rolls, or catch a school of fish they make from old CDs! Schools/educators pick from 5 fun and creative activities.

Green Goods Kit

Check out the Authority’s Green Goods Kit to explore over 50 items made from recycled materials. The appealing assortment of items can be used for both a tabletop display and an interactive presentation. An index of product information is included in the kit, along with display set-up tips, signs and a presentation script.

This interesting kit is a great way to provide a hands-on lesson on the 4th R, Re-Buy, to students and adults. Purchasing products made from curbside recycled materials is needed to complete the recycling loop and keeping curbside recycling viable. To check out the Green Goods kit please contact MMWA at 989-781-5555

Lending Library

MMWA has an extensive collection of solid waste and recycling education tools and resources. Educators, youth group leaders, librarians, organization leaders, businesses and community residents are welcome to check out materials from the 4R Lending Library free of charge (a refundable deposit is required).

The 4R Lending Library has a unique collection of resources:

• Activity and Craft Project Books
• Curriculum Lessons (all grade levels)
• Educational and Informational Books (Pre-school to adult)
• Posters
• Recycled Craft Kits
• Recycled Item Display
• Solid Waste and Recycling Videos and DVDs

Trash To Treasure

Get creative with these ideas for taking common materials and transforming them into Trash-to-Treasure crafts. A variety of easy instructional kits are available to supplement your 4R class curricula.

Available Trash-to-Treasure kits include:

• CD Fish
• Magazine Photo Frames
• Paper Bead Necklaces
• Tins with a Calendar Puzzle
• Origami Greeting Card Boxes

4R Art Opportunities

MMWA sponsors a poster contest, in celebration of Earth Day, for area children ages 5-13. Individual children, classrooms, and schools can submit eligible entries. Detailed poster contest information is available in March.

Local winners are recognized at Authority events, in local papers and on the MMWA website, as well as receiving unique, recycled-content prize items.