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Advanced Recycling Materials Worksheet

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Advanced Recycling Materials Worksheet

Investigate how the properties of materials affect the way they can be reused or recycled. Read each question carefully. Recycling rules vary between Australian councils, so this worksheet focuses on material science and common processing methods.

Identify and classify materials

Use what you know about material properties and recycling codes.

1.A milk bottle has the recycling code 2 and is made from HDPE. What does the code identify, and name one useful property of HDPE for packaging.
2.A clear soft-drink bottle is marked with recycling code 1 (PET). Which statement best explains why identifying the plastic type matters?
  • Different plastics can have different melting and processing properties, so sorting them helps make suitable recycled products.
  • The number tells you how many times the bottle has already been recycled.
  • Every plastic code can be melted together to make a stronger plastic.
  • The code means the bottle will break down quickly in soil.
3.True or false? A clean aluminium can can be melted and made into a new aluminium product without first being changed into a different material.
TrueFalse

Material

Useful property

Common processing clue

Steel

Attracted to magnets

Can be separated with magnetic equipment

Glass

Can be melted and reshaped

Often crushed into pieces called cullet before remelting

Paper and cardboard

Made from plant fibres

Mixed with water to make pulp

4.According to the material clues, what property helps a recycling facility separate steel cans from many other items?
5.A load of paper is soaked with water and stirred until the fibres separate into a thick mixture. What is this mixture called, and what material is it made from?

Follow the material through the process

Recycling involves physical changes and careful sorting. Apply the science to each scenario.

6.Match each material to the most suitable processing step.
  • Steel can
  • Paper and cardboard
  • Glass bottle
  • PET drink bottle
  • Pulped with water so fibres can be recovered
  • Sorted by plastic type, then cleaned and processed
  • Crushed into cullet and melted
  • Separated using a magnet
7.A glass jar is heated until it becomes liquid, then poured into a mould. Is this a physical change or a chemical change? Explain what happens to the glass material.
8.A sorting line receives a load containing clean, dry cardboard, a steel can and a battery. Which item should be kept out of an ordinary packaging-recycling stream, and why?

Think like a materials scientist

Use evidence about materials, energy and contamination to explain your reasoning.

9.Producing aluminium from recycled scrap generally uses much less energy than extracting aluminium from bauxite ore. Give one reason recycling can save energy.
10.Ivy finds a yoghurt tub marked code 5 (PP). She rinses it, but her local council’s collection guide does not list PP tubs. What is the most scientifically sensible next step?
  • Put it in the recycling bin anyway because all numbered plastics are accepted everywhere.
  • Check the council’s current guidance or a suitable drop-off service; a recycling code identifies the plastic but does not guarantee local collection.
  • Burn it at home to recover the plastic.
  • Put it in the glass-only bin because it is clean.
11.A recycling batch contains clean cardboard mixed with wet food scraps. Explain how contamination could affect the cardboard recycling process, then suggest one way to prevent the problem.

3 printable pages

  • Advanced Recycling Materials Worksheet, page 1 of 3: Identify and classify materials

    Page 1

  • Advanced Recycling Materials Worksheet, page 2 of 3: Follow the material through the process

    Page 2

  • Advanced Recycling Materials Worksheet, page 3 of 3: Think like a materials scientist

    Page 3

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