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Design Something New From a Plastic Bag- Tinkering with the Circular Economy

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Design Something New From a Plastic Bag- Tinkering with the Circular Economy

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Plastic bags are everywhere-they're used for carrying everything from groceries, to take out, to new clothes. While plastic bags might be convenient, they are usually only used once, are difficult or impossible to recycle, don't break down, and are harmful to wildlife.

Your challenge is to repurpose one or more plastic bags into something new and useful.

Your plastic bag creation should:

- Be made primarily out of one or more plastic bags

- Use the plastic bag or bags in an entirely new way

- Be strong enough to be used multiple times before being discarded

Submit Your Plastic Bag Creations Here
What amazing new creation have you created out of plastic bags? Use the link above to submit a photo, video, or story that demonstrates that you found an incredible new way to repurpose plastic bags. You will be able to choose whether your submission is included in our Gallery of Excellence and if you'd like to receive a Certificate of Awesome in the mail!

Plastic Bag Material Ideas:

- Any type of plastic bag or plastic film-try to rescue some from the trash!

- Optional: Scissors, tape, rubber bands, markers, iron + parchment paper, needle and thread

Feeling Stuck? Try Making A Plastic Friendship Bracelet

1. Pull, stretch, or tear the plastic bag to be as long and thin as possible.

2. Hold one end of the plastic bag in one hand, and then with the other hand twist the bag until it resembles a rope or cord.

3. Tie it around your wrist or the wrist of a friend. Now you've got a bracelet!

Now Challenge Yourself:

Science Friday co-created this resource as contributing members of CoBuild19, a collective of educators, organizations, and researchers working to help youth and their caregivers spend quality time together building and creating. The work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and Infosys Foundation. Learn about the initiative and find more activities at CoBuildAtHome.com.
Cover image credit: Susan Romano

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Challenge: What Can You Make Out Of Plastic Shopping Bags?

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While plastic bags might be convenient, they are usually only used once, are difficult or impossible to recycle, don't break down, and are harmful to wildlife. Your challenge is to repurpose plastic shopping bags to create something new and useful. The sky's the limit, whether you're making a prom dress, area rug, a dog poncho, or a kite!

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Fair Trade Resource Network closed down in May 2014. The website at FTRN.org, and its contents, were left available to the public through Fall 2014. At that time, Fair Trade Federation takes ownership and control of the website and its contents.

Version from April 2012 - Power Point presentation of an Overview of Fair Trade in N. America. The file is free to download and view. 37 slides are shown in a 7-minute show, free to open as Read-Only file, size 8 MB. Get a copy of the booklet, or PDF file, to access the password (at the bottom the Table of Contents) to edit and copy the Power Point file. Please attribute proper credit to FTRN and others if you create a new file. Download Power Point file

Mac users and others unable to open the Power Point file can Download a PDF file of the presentation.

Curricula in the US

Global Exchange
Fair Trade Cocoa Curriculum and Online Resource for Educators Elementary School
Kids love chocolate! Stimulate elementary school students' hunger for learning with Global Exchange's Fair Trade cocoa curriculum, a clever multi-dimensional classroom resource that can be adapted into lesson plans satisfying a variety of standards, including social sciences, language arts, and math. The curriculum addresses social justice issues such as the significance of the difference between Fair Trade and market prices for cocoa, as well as modern child slavery in the cocoa fields. Global Exchange also invites you to join Sweet Smarts, its online group of educators dedicated to teaching about Fair Trade!

Sports-Themed Modules on Fair Trade and Social Justice Advocacy
Soccer is the most popular game in the world and what better way to capture your classroom's attention than a game? RESPECT Fair Trade Sports provides school curricula based on using a Fair Trade Certified soccer ball as a tangible teaching tool. As elementary students create their own paper soccer balls, teachers are able to discuss social justice, global solidarity, development and Fair Trade. Meanwhile, the middle and high school curriculum delves deeper into the Fair Trade principles through a variety of questions and activities, and leads your classroom a step further by providing tools and actions students can take to advance Fair Trade in their community and school.

'Teaching Modules on Fair Trade and Catholic Social Teaching'
Grades 1-12

Catholic Relief Services offers eight modules for middle school and high school classrooms focusing on the connections between Catholic Social Teaching and Fair Trade principles. The focus is on Fair Trade chocolate and relates to CRS efforts to help students "Raise Money Right" through ethical fundraising. Educators can use modules as a complete unit or individually. The modules draw from the work of other organizations as well as the actual experiences of Catholic classrooms.

The Equal Exchange curriculum resources help students begin to build a just and sustainable future, and understand the links between our personal actions and life for all on this planet. These curriculum materials have been designed to take your students from passive consumers to active citizens who make a difference in the world. The Equal Exchange curriculum consists of a wide variety of participatory activities, including visual, auditory and inquiry learning. The curriculum consists of four units: "Our Choices Matter", "Understanding Fair Trade", "Understanding Cooperatives", and " Make a Difference." Educators may choose one or two lessons, or all four - depending on time available.

KIDS and FAIR TRADE - A Teacher's and Parent's Guide

This free Guide contains six lessons for grades 3-5, for which a suggested coloring book is for sale. Lessons Four, Five and Six can be used by grades 6-8 without the coloring book. The coloring book is available in a bilingual version of English and Spanish. The teacher's guide and coloring book are designed as tools and resources to help children:

gain an awareness about handmade Maya traditional arts and crafts, their meaning, importance and how they relate to Fair Trade

understand the meaning of "handmade" as contrasted with "factory made"

learn how buying Fair Trade items helps the artisan producers to earn a living wage

learn about the history and principles of Fair Trade

Heifer International GET IT!®

GET IT! is a curriculum-based global education and service learning program that teaches students and teachers about sustainable solutions to world hunger and poverty. The curriculum engages students as investigative journalists to research, write about, and act on issues surrounding consumer choices and international trade. Students learn how to ask questions, think critically, and communicate what they learn. By writing and circulating stories based on their research, students get hands-on experience in spreading awareness about consumer issues. Curriculum focuses on three products: bananas, flowers, and coffee. One lesson highlights a Fair Trade coffee cooperative in Guatemala.

Teachers' Guide and online curriculum includes suggestions for engaging learning activities. Resources were designed to complement the film Banana Split (2002) which gives an excellent overview of the banana's rise to become one of America's staple foods and the simultaneous history of banana farmers coming to operate under oppressive conditions. Promotes a model of smallholder banana production as a potential means for international economic development. Mentions Fair Trade Certification - produced in Canada.

Resources from the UK

(There are various useful resources available online which have been developed for use in British schools. However, please note that some units of measure and language may be unfamiliar to your students and may require clarification.)

Upper Elementary, Middle school - Ages 9-11, 11-14
Comprehensive curriculum focuses on Fair Trade cocoa and Ghana, from Divine Chocolate, and highlights Kuapa Kokoo cooperative of cocoa farmers. Photos available online. Free to download. Curriculum is UK-focused.

In this set of lesson plans, students examine the role of the consumer, the local, national and global impact of consumer behavior, and explore how consumer power can change the lives of people in other countries. Includes lesson plan: Buy a banana - who's affected?

Online Activities

From Oxfam GB in the UK, offers other links and role play games. Includes trade game, what's in your shopping bag, farmer profiles (banana and cocoa), and online interactive learning site.

Books that can be used in the classroom

Think Fair Trade First!

By Ingrid Hess, published February 2010 ~ Ages 3-8 ~ 40 color pages 8×9 inches, softcover book ~ 25 FREE copies for WFTD events, $2 each for additional copies.

FTRN says: "A fun educational read and a joy to look at, this book is a rare and engaging Fair Trade resource for kids aged 3-8. Younger children can search for the ladybug on each spread, and listen to or read the fictional story. Older children can also read the nonfiction sections on each spread."Summary/review: Stella & Henry are on a mission to find the perfect gift. With help from Aunt Mabel, the two children discover the world of Fair Trade and learn how shopping wisely can improve people's lives.

"Think Fair Trade First!" explains Fair Trade's comprehensive approach to business and development with fun, educational content for kids and grown-ups alike. A great find for teachers to explain how their students can make the world a better place.
~ Carmen K. Iezzi, Executive Director, Fair Trade Federation

Download free Scavenger Hunt Guide to use with this book.

An Overview of Fair Trade in North America

By FTRN, published Nov 2011 ~ 34 pg. booklet ~ High school & above ~ 25 FREE copies for WFTD events, $2 each for additional copies. Hard and soft copy includes password to edit and copy the Power Point presentation of booklet highlights!

FTRN says: "A quick read offering a comprehensive overview of the North American Fair Trade movement. The definitive booklet on Fair Trade's various models, success stories, major names, facts and figures, brief history and key challenges and opportunities."

Summary/review: This publication will help readers:

Understand how Fair Trade relationships in over 70 developing countries enhance the quality of life of producers and their communities.

Interact with a global community taking action to ease inequities wrought by traditional trade structures.

Navigate the complicated world of organizations, labels and definitions of Fair Trade.

This booklet was supported by the following sponsors:

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps ~ Once Again Nut Butter ~ Fair for Life ~ Fair World Project ~ Ganesh Himal ~ HandCrafting Justice ~ Ten Thousand Villages USA ~ Theo Chocolate

Fair Trade: A Human Journey

By Eric St-Pierre, 2010 ~ 240 pg. book (10 x 13 inches, 4 lbs.) ~ high school level & above ~ $49.95

FTRN says: "Simply the best photo book available on Fair Trade and its producers! Through 350 stunning and highly illustrative photos combined with very well-researched narratives, St-Pierre presents an inclusive, broad picture of Fair Trade. This complete book also includes a brief history of Fair Trade, key statistics in global and Fair Trade, as well as discussions of certifications, labels, multinational corporations, producer networks and more."

Summary/review: This journey into the lives of artisans, peasants and workers from 15 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America traverses 14 Fair Trade sectors - from the most common, such as handicrafts, coffee and cocoa, to the lesser known, such as shea butter, quinoa and guarana. The author introduces us to producers, describes the processing chain for each product, and outlines the advantages and challenges of Fair Trade.

Zapizapu Crosses the Sea: A story about being fair
By Diane Abad Vergara. Available from Trafford Publishing.
The script and colorful illustrations of this children's book work together to simplify the concept of international trade and personify those involved around the world from grower to consumer. In the story we discover that the simple yet important concept of 'playing fair' is important for children and grown ups alike.

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Fair Trade Resource Network closed down in May 2014. The website at FTRN.org, and its contents, were left available to the public through Fall 2014. At that time, Fair Trade Federation takes ownership and control of the website and its contents. Version from April 2012 - Power Point presentation of an Overview of Fair Trade in N.

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The Danajon Bank in the central Philippines was once a geologic treasure chest brimming with marine life. It is the only double barrier reef in the Philippines and one of only six double barrier reefs in the world. Overfishing depleted stocks by 240 percent since 1960, according to one recent study, driving fishermen to more and more desperate measures in the hunt for dwindling numbers of fish.

As fish declined, the number of nets set in waters to catch them increased. It didn't take long for discarded fishing nets to pile up by the ton on beaches and in gnarled root wells in the mangroves. Further offshore, these so-called ghostnets drifted untethered for years, snagging fish, sponges, crabs, and sea cucumbers-or settled on delicate reefs, smothering the corals.

Today, the same fishermen who once hauled out rabbitfish and blue crabs now harvest the nets themselves. They work in a flourishing net retrieval program with the twin goals of paying a living wage while helping the beat-up ecosystem recover. NetWorks, operated in part by the Zoological Society of London, is one of a growing number of programs in coastal countries to take on the increasing problem of discarded or lost fishing nets and the harm they cause.

Industry recycling of fishing gear is still relatively young, and lagged behind efforts to keep plastic out of the ocean until recent years, even though the introduction of nylon nets transformed the fishing industry in the late 1970s, enabling scale and efficiency to increase fishing globally.

"I think nets get sidelined as they are not as tractable for the general public in the way that bottles, straws, and bags are because they are the responsibility of the fishing industry," says Heather Koldewey, a marine scientist and chief of the Zoological Society of London's global programs. "It's a different problem to solve than land-based waste management to reduce the flow of plastics into the ocean," says Koldewey, who is also a National Geographic fellow.

But the problem is real. More than 705,000 tons (1.28 billion pounds) of fishing nets are lost yearly, according to the United Nation's most recent global count, published in 2009. In the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, almost half the weight of surface debris is fishing gear, according to a 2017 study by Laurent Lebreton, an oceanographer with the Ocean Cleanup Foundation.

All told, fishing gear makes up about 10 percent of the plastic trash in the oceans, but accounts for an outsized proportion of fatalities to marine wildlife. More than 100,000 large whales, sea lions, and seals are killed every year, according to World Animal Protection, as well as an "inestimable" number of sea birds, turtles and fish.

Turtles seem especially vulnerable to entanglement. In Australia, home to six of the world's threatened species of sea turtles, the most likely way a sea turtle will die is by becoming entangled in a discarded fishing net, according to research by Denise Hardesty and Chris Wilcox, research scientists at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).

In the Gulf of Carpentaria, which spans Queensland and the Northern Territory in Australia, discarded or lost fishing nets wash ashore in some of the highest densities globally-up to three tons per kilometer yearly. Hardesty calls the nets "floating death traps," and she cites examples elsewhere around the globe. When 870 ghostnets were recovered in Washington state, for example, they contained more than 32,000 marine animals, including more than 500 birds and mammals.

World Animal Protection estimates that 30 or 40 marine animals can become entangled per net. How nets are lost can vary dramatically in the same region, and depends on weather, sea conditions, vandalism or theft, or whether the fishery is operating illegally. In northern Spain, for example, one gillnet fishery loses an estimated 2,000 nets per year, while another gillnet fishery in the same region loses 100 gillnets yearly.

Net recovering programs are now setting up in coastal places around the world, from Greece to the North Sea to New Zealand. ( Learn how Indian fishermen are collecting plastic waste.)

The Danajon Bank, which extends for 97 miles between the central Philippines islands of Bohol, Leyte and Cebu, was the cradle of all Pacific marine life. As fishing declined, forcing local fishermen in the island villages to quit, NetWorks arrived in 2012 to set up a pioneering net recovery program. But as is common in poor places-more than 60 percent of local fishing families live below the U.S. poverty line-in order to save the marine species at risk, the scientists had to save the people who had lived off the seas for generations.

The net recovery program would not only clean up the waters, it would create new jobs. Former fishermen dive for nets and pull them onto shore. They are transferred to a baling station on the island of Bohol, where they are tightly compressed into cubes, then shipped to Aquafil, a net recycling company in Slovenia that buys fishing nets from around the world and turns them into nylon yarn. The yarn, in turn, makes its way to carpet manufacturers in the United States.

"We connect marine conservation with the business model that brings marginalized communities in the developing world into a mainstream global supply chain," Koldewey says.

The goal has been to build a self-sustaining business; so far, the program has shown enough promise that NetWorks has expanded to a second hub in the Philippines and to Cameroon in Central Africa and Indonesia.

"The work is part of a bigger strategy to change people's perspective on plastics. You don't have to throw plastics away because you can derive economic benefit from it," says Amado Blanco, as he takes the four-hour trip on an outrigger boat from Cebu to the tiny island of Guidacpan, where third-generation fishermen have become part of a global entrepreneurial network.

Blanco has served as the program's Philippines project manager for long enough to have seen attitudes evolve.

"People are no longer burning their nets," he says. "They are are no longer throwing nets on the shore or into the ground. They are keeping them in sacks and selling them."

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These Communities Turn Discarded Fishing Nets Into Carpets

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The Danajon Bank in the central Philippines was once a geologic treasure chest brimming with marine life. It is the only double barrier reef in the Philippines and one of only six double barrier reefs in the world.

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For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

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Important Victory

The Lake County, Illinois board decided to stop pursuing a massive highway extension that would have been a boondoggle for developers, destroyed sensitive wetlands, and contributed to air pollution.

READ THE STORY

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Illinois | Environmental Law & Policy Center

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The Lake County, Illinois board decided to stop pursuing a massive highway extension that would have been a boondoggle for developers, destroyed sensitive wetlands, and contributed to air pollution. READ THE STORY

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May 15, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2019 Contacts: Little Village Environmental Justice Organization: Juliana Pino, (312) 344-3143, jpino@lvejo.org Environmental Law & Policy Center: Judith Nemes, (312) 795-3706, JNemes@elpc.org Blacks in Green: Naomi Davis, (773) 678-9541, NaomiDavis@blacksingreen.org Illinois People's Action: Dawn Dannenbring, (309) 531-4433, ILPeoplesAction12@gmail.com Illinois Solar for All Program Launches to Bring Affordable Renewable Energy to Low-income Households and Environmental Justice Communities across [...]
Read More >

January 23, 2019
Crawford Coal Power Plant & LV ICMP Update January 15, 2019 We are hoping to share with you that on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 10:30am the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development for the City of Chicago City Council will discuss and vote on R2018-1394, a Class 6(b) tax incentive measure to allow the former Crawford [...]
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September 12, 2018
Little Village's Fight for the Right to Breathe Para leer o descargar este documento en español, haga clic aqui. To read or download the following letter, click here. On December 29, 2017, Hilco Global closed on the purchase of the former Crawford Coal Power Plant for $100 million. In the announcement, Hilco stated that the site development [...]
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LVEJO | Leadership Development for the Sustainable Self Determination of Little Village

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May 15, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2019 Contacts: Little Village Environmental Justice Organization: Juliana Pino, (312) 344-3143, jpino@lvejo.org Environmental Law & Policy Center: Judith Nemes, (312) 795-3706, JNemes@elpc.org Blacks in Green: Naomi Davis, (773) 678-9541, NaomiDavis@blacksingreen.org Illinois People's Action: Dawn Dannenbring, (309) 531-4433, ILPeoplesAction12@gmail.com Illinois Solar for All Program Launches to Bring Affordable Renewable Energy to Low-income Households and Environmental Justice Communities across [...]

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We support leaders and their organizations in accelerating the shift to Conscious Capitalism. We live and lead by example:

1. We engage each other with awareness, care and compassion to cultivate trust and alignment.

2. We embrace a spirit of curiosity and inquiry, always open to expanding our awareness and deepening our understanding of the idea and practice of Conscious Capitalism.

3. We encourage openness, honesty and the courage to speak the truth, even if it is difficult to speak or hear.

4. We seek and embrace diversity in its many forms.

5. We are committed to organizationallearning and adaptation.

6. We maintain the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct, prudent use of resources, and fair and accurate disclosure of information.

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We support leaders and their organizations in accelerating the shift to Conscious Capitalism. We live and lead by example: We engage each other with awareness, care and compassion to cultivate trust and alignment. We embrace a spirit of curiosity and inquiry, always open to expanding our awareness and deepening our understanding of the idea and practice of Conscious Capitalism.

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The express upcycling system for 'single-use' plastics

Arthur Huang is an architect, structural engineer, and serial innovator who sees trash as a resource just waiting to be turned into new materials. His Taipei based company Miniwiz creates ingenious and efficient recycling systems, and is so innovative that it is churning out methods to create 20 new products from trash every month. Huang and his team specialize in creating value from what has previously been considered useless, such as cigarette butts; Miniwiz has developed systems that turn the paper and tobacco parts of the butt into compost, while extracting acetate from the filter that can then be used to create molded products such as sunglasses.

One of Miniwiz's most recent projects is the aptly named Trashpresso - a mobile upcycling system that can transform plastic bottles and other single-use plastic products into high quality carpet tiles at a rate of 110 pounds (about 50 kilos) per hour. Trashpresso uses a three-step process: First, the plastic is deconstructed into small flakes, which are deep cleaned and then dried out using a dehumidifier. The flakes are then melted and poured into molds to make the tiles. All of the water used in the process is purified using reverse osmosis, and fed back into the system. The vision for Trashpresso is to demystify the recycling process, bringing it to communities around the world that are confronting waste issues so that they can see its viability as an economic model.

The tech disruptors using AI to cut food waste

One third of all food produced for human consumption ends up in the trash, according the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. That's 1.3 billion tons of food every year. When it comes to feeding ourselves there is a yawning efficiency gap, particularly in wealthy countries. Losses occur across farming, supply, retail, hospitality, and with consumers. UK tech company Winnow Solutions is using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) approach to develop systems to cut down on food waste in the hospitality industry. The Winnow system is a smart bin that uses imaging tech, scales, and in-built machine learning to log both the type and quality of food that kitchens are throwing away. In the initial weeks of use, kitchen staff input the type of food they are discarding via an app. Over time, the Winnow system learns to recognize food types and automatically categorizes them each time they are thrown away, eliminating human error and providing accurate data that can be cross-referenced to reduce food costs. Winnow Solutions estimate that using their system creates an overall reduction in food waste for a typical client of 40-70 per cent, and an annual two to eight per cent reduction in food costs. The company has already installed scores of devices, with uptake from leading brands like Ikea, Accor Hotels and catering giant Compass Group.

The nylon producer spinning trash into virgin-quality nylon yarn

Aquafil has been in the nylon business for more than 50 years. In the last decade the Italian company has dedicated its attention to building out a whole new supply chain and production process that replaces chemicals sourced from the oil industry with discarded nylon. Aquafil is creating virgin-quality nylon yarn using everything from old fishing nets to synthetic carpet to offcuts from the fashion industry. Aquafil CEO Giulio Bonazzi embarked on the sustainability odyssey with little idea of what would be required to create a global supply chain out of waste, as well as develop a chemical process for transforming it into nylon yarn. But with tenacity and dedication, the company has been able to do both. Its patented ECONYL thread uses a process to break down nylon waste into its chemical building blocks, then polymerizing it to create a product as pure as virgin nylon from the petrochemical industry. Waste from around the world arrives at a warehouse in the small Slovenian town of Adjvoščina, before being transported to Aquafil's main facility in the capital Ljubjana. The company is currently processing upward of 40,000 tons of discarded nylon each year and has a growing list of clients in the fashion and homeware industries. One of Aquafil's biggest clients is Italian fashion brand Prada, whose global reputation owes much to its iconic nylon bags - a new collection of which was launched this year under the Re-Nylon tag.

The post millennial inventor cleaning up the ocean

Scientific evidence shows that plastics now permeate virtually every ecosystem on earth - from the deepest seabed to the upper atmosphere. Extensive media coverage of this issue showing us images of turtles tangled in nets, or dead whales on beaches their stomachs full of plastic, have ensured that in the past few years the plastic pollution crisis affecting the planet has finally struck home. Brands and consumers alike are concerned, and at last appear to be taking action. One of the most high profile initiatives aimed at dealing with plastic waste in the ocean is the aptly named Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit built around an ingenious technology that removes plastics, including microplastics, from the water column. Its Dutch inventor Boyan Slat shot to prominence back in 2014 when he introduced the world to a device aimed at capturing ocean plastics at scale. Thanks to an enormously successful crowdfunding campaign, Slat was able to build his device. The Ocean Cleanup technology is now operating on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It consists of a barrier with a 10-foot (three-meter) skirt beneath the water surface, which traps free-floating plastic. The system makes use of passive energy in the form of wind and currents, while boats periodically collect the trapped plastics for recycling. The plan is to set up similar systems in locations around the world so that by 2040, 90 percent of plastic waste will have been removed from the ocean.

This content is brought to you by our partner. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic or its editorial staff.

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Closing the loop: four pioneers of the new circular economy

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The express upcycling system for 'single-use' plastics Arthur Huang is an architect, structural engineer, and serial innovator who sees trash as a resource just waiting to be turned into new materials. His Taipei based company Miniwiz creates ingenious and efficient recycling systems, and is so innovative that it is churning out methods to create 20 new products from trash every month.

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The latest stories from our Planet or Plastic? series-a multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis.

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For many, environmentalism begins with the recycling symbol and ends at the recycling bin. The simple act of throwing something away into a large box marked with a recycling sign is enough to make some of us feel like we've done our part.

It's like eating only half of a chocolate chip cookie- we indulge, but not that much. Similarly, our faith in the magic of the recycling bin makes purchasing and using plastic products a little more guilt-free.

But recycling is a lot more complicated, and the process of recycling plastics is significantly less transparent than the much-Googled recipe for baking cookies.

It's a system dictated by market demand, price determinations, local regulations, the success of which is contingent upon everyone, from the product-designer, to the trash-thrower, to the waste collector, to the recycling factory worker.

We consumers play a much more critical role than we might imagine- depending on how we use our products and in what shape we throw them away, determines their value and quality post-use. Think about it. Recycled goods have to compete with new products in the market; who wants to buy something of lower quality?

I've spent the last five months talking to various experts in Taiwan, one of the world's innovators in recycling systems AND major producers of plastics, to put together this list. My hope is to bring more transparency to a system inseparable from our very existence, but whose visibility often starts and stops at the trash can.

7 infographics correspond to the 7 classifications of plastics and debunk common (mis)assumptions about plastics & recycling.

1. NOT ALL PLASTIC IS RECYCLABLE.

Plastic bags- Not recyclable.

Straws- Not recyclable.

Coffee Cups- you need a special machine; without it, no.

Keyboards- maybe, if you get it to the right person.

"Recycling" is determined by two really important things: the market and Tweet this city government . If there's a demand in the market, then recyclers and companies will pay for your post-consumer recyclables.

But without a market demand, those recyclables are almost useless; placing them in the recycling bin won't make a difference if you can't make money off of them. If the demand isn't there, or the quality of the materials post-use is incurably dirty, they end up in landfill or incinerators.

Your local government also plays an essential role. Government regulations create market opportunities for companies to recycle legally-mandated products. But every municipality is different. Before you throw something away, check what your city actually recycles.

Public investment in recycling systems, moreover, is integral to their long-term sustainability and success. While the price of purchasing a new piece of plastic is far cheaper than paying someone's salary to manage and sort recyclables, the environmental cost is substantially greater. Subsidies, investments and public support go a long way.

Just because IT has the recycling sign doesn't mean it ACTUALLY gets recycled.

2. NOT ALL PLASTIC IS CREATED EQUAL.

Plastics are classified into according to 7 categories Resin Identification Codes (RIC). They are differentiated by the temperature at which the material has been heated, and their numerical classification (#1 - #7) only informs you what type of plastic it is. For example:

#1 (PET), ex: water bottles - highest recycling value; keep out of the sun to prevent toxins leaking into the container (no bueno for your health).

#7 (OTHER) is the catch-all category. It includes non-recyclables and corn-based plastics (PLA). (As a consumer, you can't tell the difference.)

What it doesn't tell you:

1. HEALTH EFFECTS: plastic has been linked to disrupting hormonal growth and carcinogens. While its use is also associated with public hygiene and preventing bacteria contamination (many Taiwanese, for example, use plastic straws to drink everything from beer to milk out of fear of a contaminated supply chain), consumers should be wary of chemicals leaching into food or drink products.

According to the Science History Institute, "[c]urrent health concerns focus on additives (such as bisphenol A [BPA] and a class of chemicals called phthalates) that go into plastics during the manufacturing process, making them more flexible, durable, and transparent."

Most experts agree that you should stay away from #3 PVC (often found in pipes) and #6 PS (Styrofoam, often used as food/drink containers).

2. HOW IT'S MADE: Did you know that most plastics originate from crude oil? Only plastics labeled PLA are made from the sugars in corn or other plant-starches like cassava.

3. RECYCLABILITY: Oftentimes we just throw things away into the recycling bin with the full faith that theywill be recycled just because the label says its recyclable. But that's not always the case.

Moreover, there are 2 types of plastics: thermoset vs. thermoplastics. Thermoplastics are plastics that can be re-melted and re-molded into new products, and therefore, recycled. However, thermoset plastics "contain polymers that cross-link to form an irreversible chemical bond," meaning that no matter how much heat you apply, they cannot be remelted into new material and hence, non-recyclable.

"while so many plastic products are disposable, plastic lasts forever in the environment. It was the plastics industry that offered recycling as a solution."

3. COFFEE CUPS CAN'T ACTUALLY BE RECYCLED.

Feel good once you finish your Starbucks and place that innocuous paper cup in the recycling bin? Well, it's a little more complicated than that.

While the outside of the cup is made of paper, inside is a thin layer of plastic. The PP (Polypropylene) film protects the liquid from seeping into the paper (and thereby burning you) and keeps your warm drink from cooling too quickly.

Because there are two different materials, the cups cannot be recycled unless the materials are separated, which is impossible to do by hand and requires a special machine.

That's why the easiest items to recycle are the products made from a single material. Water bottles (100% PET plastic) are a prime example of this.

Coffee cups are similar to the packaging enclosing snacks like health bars. Both are multi-layered, with each layer serving a particular purpose, e.g. wax layer for the label, or the aluminum layer to prevent external heat from altering the chemical composition of the item before you purchase it.

This kind of design, however, makes recycling the product super difficult, especially since the layers are often very thin and stacked tightly on top of one another. It's just not cost-effective and far too time-consuming for a recycling factory to separate and recycle each piece.

These layers are not visible to the naked eye, making it difficult to understand THAT THE PRODUCT cannot be recycled AS IS.

4. YOU CAN'T RECYCLE DIRTY PLASTIC.

Got a little pizza sauce and cheesy goodness left on that pizza box? Now it can't be recycled (you can still compost it though!).

Any plastic material with food residues on (or in) it CANNOT be recycled. In order for plastics to be transformed into recycled goods, they must be of decent quality. So what to do?

WASH FIRST, THEN RECYCLE.
Wash your plastics after every use, so they have the chance to be recycled into new material.

Remember, recycled materials (i.e. your trash) must compete with virgin materials in the market, so quality matters.

In Taiwan, there are several groups of people who sort trash, remove food remnants from bento boxes, and then send the containers to the recycling factories (since the outside material is generally paper).

Some recycling factories then take these goods and wash them multiple times before they are cut, reheated and transformed.

But most of the time, a "dirty" recyclable thrown into a public trash/recycling bin doesn't even have the chance to end up at the recycling factory; it's determined useless (meaning either too troublesome, to clean, or not capable of generating income from) and lumped with all the other trash that ends up in landfill or the incinerator.

RINSE OUT AND WASH YOUR PLASTICS BEFORE YOU RECYCLE THEM. CLEAR ALL FOOD RESIDUALS TO GUARANTEE THEY HAVE A SHOT OF MAKING IT TO THE RECYCLING FACTORY.

5. RECYCLING PLASTIC DOWNGRADES ITS QUALITY.

First, it's important to know that plastics are simply polymers, long chains of atoms " arranged in repeating units often much longer than those found in nature."

According to the Science History Institute, the "length of these chains, and the patterns in which they are arranged, are what make polymers strong, lightweight, and flexible. In other words, it's what makes them so plastic."

Every time plastic is recycled, the polymer chain grows shorter, SO ITS QUALITY DECREASES.

The same piece of plastic can only be recycled about 2-3 times before its quality decreases to the point where it can no longer be used.

Additionally, each time plastic is recycled, additional virgin material is added to help "upgrade" its quality, so that the recycled product has a fighting chance in the market against new, durable and fresh goods. So when you read the label "recycled material," think twice about what the word "recycled" actually means in that context.

6. GLASS AND METAL CAN BE RECYCLED INFINITELY.

glass and metal (including aluminum) can be recycled infinitely without losing quality or purity in the product. You read that right. Unlike plastic, Tweet this There's no need to add additional virgin material in the recycling process- recycling glass and metal is the ultimate form of circular economy, the process of using and then reusing materials without generating any waste. ( Spring Pool Glass Co. Ltd., a glass recycling and innovation company based in Taiwan, is an excellent example of this.)

So then why did we make the switch to plastic? Dasdy Lin, Sustainability Consultant at the Plastics Industry Development Center (PIDC), shared these three reasons:

Global transportation shipping costs

Safety - consistency and stability of products without risk of breaking

Profit
"Say for example, I ship 100 bottles and in the end, I only receive 98 because 2 broke. That's capital loss. But plastic rarely breaks. Plus, if we are looking at life-cycle assessment, it will probably take more energy to ship the glass bottles than the plastic ones because glass is heavier. The weight difference will result in the consumption of more fuel during transportation. So the negative effect on the environment is more fuel-burning, which results in more pollution."
7. "THE EVERYTHING ELSE" CATEGORY.

The next time you use a plastic product, flip it over and check the bottom. If you see #7 in the center of a three-arrowed triangle, you have no way of knowing for certain whether its recyclable or non-recyclable (even plastics industry people and recyclers can't tell sometimes).

#7 is the "other" put-everything-else-that-is-not-#1-6 category. It includes both non-recyclable and "biodegradable" plastics. Tweet this Polylactic acid (PLA), for example, is a #7 plastic. It is made from plant-starch instead of petroleum, and therefore, marketed as "biodegradable." (For your reference, most synthetic plastics come from crude oil.)

I use quotations here because it's important to know that current biodegradable products can only decompose if they are sent to a special factory, where the temperature and humidity is specially controlled, and lumped together with other compostable plastics. (If those plastics are thrown into landfill and mixed in with other trash, it doesn't matter if they're compostable or not. They're not going back into nature if they're stuck in between layers of other waste.)

Another example of a #7 plastic is melamine, a non-recyclable plastic used often in food containers like bowls. Its claim to fame: its durability and being dish-washer safe. In Taiwan, melamine can be spotted in night markets (beware pink bowls the next time you want to try some pork over rice 滷肉飯 (lu rou fan)). According to Dasdy Lin, you can't recycle melamine because it is a thermoset plastic: "it won't melt again- the only way is to incinerate it."

We live in a plastic era.

From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, plastic has become a household staple for families and communities around the world. Given its prominence, and the fact that scientists estimate it takes somewhere between 450 -1,000 years to decompose (some argue it will never decompose), it is essential for us to understand this material.

Only powered by knowledge can we take the necessary actions to transform our relationship with plastic and protect our families, communities & the environment.

* Special thanks to Cory Howell for all the incredible sketches used in the infographics!

** Thank you also to Nate Maynard, Consultant at the Chung-hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), for cross-checking the information above and providing some of the linked academic resources!

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook .

Lillygol Sedaghat is a multi-media environmental journalist and speaker focusing on the intersection among science, systems, and people. Previously, she was a Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storyteller documenting Taiwan's waste management system, plastics recycling and circular economy initiatives. She is an active contributor to National Geographic's Planet or Plastic? global campaign and creates music videos, info-graphics, and maps to transform people's perceptions of trash from something disposable to something valuable. Lillygol has spoken at UN World Environment Day, Influence Nation Summit DC, and National Geographic on her research. She completed a B.A. in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley and was named 5 Under 25: Leaders in U.S.-China Relations.

For many, environmentalism begins with the recycling symbol and ends at the recycling bin. The simple act of throwing something away into a large box marked with a recycling sign is enough to make some of us feel like we've done our part.

It's like eating only half of a chocolate chip cookie- we indulge, but not that much. Similarly, our faith in the magic of the recycling bin makes purchasing and using plastic products a little more guilt-free.

But recycling is a lot more complicated, and the process of recycling plastics is significantly less transparent than the much-Googled recipe for baking cookies.

It's a system dictated by market demand, price determinations, local regulations, the success of which is contingent upon everyone, from the product-designer, to the trash-thrower, to the waste collector, to the recycling factory worker.

We consumers play a much more critical role than we might imagine- depending on how we use our products and in what shape we throw them away, determines their value and quality post-use. Think about it. Recycled goods have to compete with new products in the market; who wants to buy something of lower quality?

I've spent the last five months talking to various experts in Taiwan, one of the world's innovators in recycling systems AND major producers of plastics, to put together this list. My hope is to bring more transparency to a system inseparable from our very existence, but whose visibility often starts and stops at the trash can.

7 infographics correspond to the 7 classifications of plastics and debunk common (mis)assumptions about plastics & recycling.

1. NOT ALL PLASTIC IS RECYCLABLE.

Plastic bags- Not recyclable.

Straws- Not recyclable.

Coffee Cups- you need a special machine; without it, no.

Keyboards- maybe, if you get it to the right person.

"Recycling" is determined by two really important things: the market and Tweet this city government . If there's a demand in the market, then recyclers and companies will pay for your post-consumer recyclables.

But without a market demand, those recyclables are almost useless; placing them in the recycling bin won't make a difference if you can't make money off of them. If the demand isn't there, or the quality of the materials post-use is incurably dirty, they end up in landfill or incinerators.

Your local government also plays an essential role. Government regulations create market opportunities for companies to recycle legally-mandated products. But every municipality is different. Before you throw something away, check what your city actually recycles.

Public investment in recycling systems, moreover, is integral to their long-term sustainability and success. While the price of purchasing a new piece of plastic is far cheaper than paying someone's salary to manage and sort recyclables, the environmental cost is substantially greater. Subsidies, investments and public support go a long way.

Just because IT has the recycling sign doesn't mean it ACTUALLY gets recycled.

2. NOT ALL PLASTIC IS CREATED EQUAL.

Plastics are classified into according to 7 categories Resin Identification Codes (RIC). They are differentiated by the temperature at which the material has been heated, and their numerical classification (#1 - #7) only informs you what type of plastic it is. For example:

#1 (PET), ex: water bottles - highest recycling value; keep out of the sun to prevent toxins leaking into the container (no bueno for your health).

#7 (OTHER) is the catch-all category. It includes non-recyclables and corn-based plastics (PLA). (As a consumer, you can't tell the difference.)

What it doesn't tell you:

1. HEALTH EFFECTS: plastic has been linked to disrupting hormonal growth and carcinogens. While its use is also associated with public hygiene and preventing bacteria contamination (many Taiwanese, for example, use plastic straws to drink everything from beer to milk out of fear of a contaminated supply chain), consumers should be wary of chemicals leaching into food or drink products.

According to the Science History Institute, "[c]urrent health concerns focus on additives (such as bisphenol A [BPA] and a class of chemicals called phthalates) that go into plastics during the manufacturing process, making them more flexible, durable, and transparent."

Most experts agree that you should stay away from #3 PVC (often found in pipes) and #6 PS (Styrofoam, often used as food/drink containers).

2. HOW IT'S MADE: Did you know that most plastics originate from crude oil? Only plastics labeled PLA are made from the sugars in corn or other plant-starches like cassava.

3. RECYCLABILITY: Oftentimes we just throw things away into the recycling bin with the full faith that theywill be recycled just because the label says its recyclable. But that's not always the case.

Moreover, there are 2 types of plastics: thermoset vs. thermoplastics. Thermoplastics are plastics that can be re-melted and re-molded into new products, and therefore, recycled. However, thermoset plastics "contain polymers that cross-link to form an irreversible chemical bond," meaning that no matter how much heat you apply, they cannot be remelted into new material and hence, non-recyclable.

"while so many plastic products are disposable, plastic lasts forever in the environment. It was the plastics industry that offered recycling as a solution."

3. COFFEE CUPS CAN'T ACTUALLY BE RECYCLED.

Feel good once you finish your Starbucks and place that innocuous paper cup in the recycling bin? Well, it's a little more complicated than that.

While the outside of the cup is made of paper, inside is a thin layer of plastic. The PP (Polypropylene) film protects the liquid from seeping into the paper (and thereby burning you) and keeps your warm drink from cooling too quickly.

Because there are two different materials, the cups cannot be recycled unless the materials are separated, which is impossible to do by hand and requires a special machine.

That's why the easiest items to recycle are the products made from a single material. Water bottles (100% PET plastic) are a prime example of this.

Coffee cups are similar to the packaging enclosing snacks like health bars. Both are multi-layered, with each layer serving a particular purpose, e.g. wax layer for the label, or the aluminum layer to prevent external heat from altering the chemical composition of the item before you purchase it.

This kind of design, however, makes recycling the product super difficult, especially since the layers are often very thin and stacked tightly on top of one another. It's just not cost-effective and far too time-consuming for a recycling factory to separate and recycle each piece.

These layers are not visible to the naked eye, making it difficult to understand THAT THE PRODUCT cannot be recycled AS IS.

4. YOU CAN'T RECYCLE DIRTY PLASTIC.

Got a little pizza sauce and cheesy goodness left on that pizza box? Now it can't be recycled (you can still compost it though!).

Any plastic material with food residues on (or in) it CANNOT be recycled. In order for plastics to be transformed into recycled goods, they must be of decent quality. So what to do?

WASH FIRST, THEN RECYCLE.
Wash your plastics after every use, so they have the chance to be recycled into new material.

Remember, recycled materials (i.e. your trash) must compete with virgin materials in the market, so quality matters.

In Taiwan, there are several groups of people who sort trash, remove food remnants from bento boxes, and then send the containers to the recycling factories (since the outside material is generally paper).

Some recycling factories then take these goods and wash them multiple times before they are cut, reheated and transformed.

But most of the time, a "dirty" recyclable thrown into a public trash/recycling bin doesn't even have the chance to end up at the recycling factory; it's determined useless (meaning either too troublesome, to clean, or not capable of generating income from) and lumped with all the other trash that ends up in landfill or the incinerator.

RINSE OUT AND WASH YOUR PLASTICS BEFORE YOU RECYCLE THEM. CLEAR ALL FOOD RESIDUALS TO GUARANTEE THEY HAVE A SHOT OF MAKING IT TO THE RECYCLING FACTORY.

5. RECYCLING PLASTIC DOWNGRADES ITS QUALITY.

First, it's important to know that plastics are simply polymers, long chains of atoms " arranged in repeating units often much longer than those found in nature."

According to the Science History Institute, the "length of these chains, and the patterns in which they are arranged, are what make polymers strong, lightweight, and flexible. In other words, it's what makes them so plastic."

Every time plastic is recycled, the polymer chain grows shorter, SO ITS QUALITY DECREASES.

The same piece of plastic can only be recycled about 2-3 times before its quality decreases to the point where it can no longer be used.

Additionally, each time plastic is recycled, additional virgin material is added to help "upgrade" its quality, so that the recycled product has a fighting chance in the market against new, durable and fresh goods. So when you read the label "recycled material," think twice about what the word "recycled" actually means in that context.

6. GLASS AND METAL CAN BE RECYCLED INFINITELY.

glass and metal (including aluminum) can be recycled infinitely without losing quality or purity in the product. You read that right. Unlike plastic, Tweet this There's no need to add additional virgin material in the recycling process- recycling glass and metal is the ultimate form of circular economy, the process of using and then reusing materials without generating any waste. ( Spring Pool Glass Co. Ltd., a glass recycling and innovation company based in Taiwan, is an excellent example of this.)

So then why did we make the switch to plastic? Dasdy Lin, Sustainability Consultant at the Plastics Industry Development Center (PIDC), shared these three reasons:

Global transportation shipping costs

Safety - consistency and stability of products without risk of breaking

Profit
"Say for example, I ship 100 bottles and in the end, I only receive 98 because 2 broke. That's capital loss. But plastic rarely breaks. Plus, if we are looking at life-cycle assessment, it will probably take more energy to ship the glass bottles than the plastic ones because glass is heavier. The weight difference will result in the consumption of more fuel during transportation. So the negative effect on the environment is more fuel-burning, which results in more pollution."
7. "THE EVERYTHING ELSE" CATEGORY.

The next time you use a plastic product, flip it over and check the bottom. If you see #7 in the center of a three-arrowed triangle, you have no way of knowing for certain whether its recyclable or non-recyclable (even plastics industry people and recyclers can't tell sometimes).

#7 is the "other" put-everything-else-that-is-not-#1-6 category. It includes both non-recyclable and "biodegradable" plastics. Tweet this Polylactic acid (PLA), for example, is a #7 plastic. It is made from plant-starch instead of petroleum, and therefore, marketed as "biodegradable." (For your reference, most synthetic plastics come from crude oil.)

I use quotations here because it's important to know that current biodegradable products can only decompose if they are sent to a special factory, where the temperature and humidity is specially controlled, and lumped together with other compostable plastics. (If those plastics are thrown into landfill and mixed in with other trash, it doesn't matter if they're compostable or not. They're not going back into nature if they're stuck in between layers of other waste.)

Another example of a #7 plastic is melamine, a non-recyclable plastic used often in food containers like bowls. Its claim to fame: its durability and being dish-washer safe. In Taiwan, melamine can be spotted in night markets (beware pink bowls the next time you want to try some pork over rice 滷肉飯 (lu rou fan)). According to Dasdy Lin, you can't recycle melamine because it is a thermoset plastic: "it won't melt again- the only way is to incinerate it."

We live in a plastic era.

From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, plastic has become a household staple for families and communities around the world. Given its prominence, and the fact that scientists estimate it takes somewhere between 450 -1,000 years to decompose (some argue it will never decompose), it is essential for us to understand this material.

Only powered by knowledge can we take the necessary actions to transform our relationship with plastic and protect our families, communities & the environment.

* Special thanks to Cory Howell for all the incredible sketches used in the infographics!

** Thank you also to Nate Maynard, Consultant at the Chung-hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), for cross-checking the information above and providing some of the linked academic resources!

7 infographics correspond to the 7 classifications of plastics and debunk common (mis)assumptions about plastics & recycling.

Plastic bags- Not recyclable.

Straws- Not recyclable.

Just because IT has the recycling sign doesn't mean it ACTUALLY gets recycled.

What it doesn't tell you:

"while so many plastic products are disposable, plastic lasts forever in the environment. It was the plastics industry that offered recycling as a solution."

These layers are not visible to the naked eye, making it difficult to understand THAT THE PRODUCT cannot be recycled AS IS.

WASH FIRST, THEN RECYCLE.
Wash your plastics after every use, so they have the chance to be recycled into new material.

RINSE OUT AND WASH YOUR PLASTICS BEFORE YOU RECYCLE THEM. CLEAR ALL FOOD RESIDUALS TO GUARANTEE THEY HAVE A SHOT OF MAKING IT TO THE RECYCLING FACTORY.

First, it's important to know that plastics are simply polymers, long chains of atoms " arranged in repeating units often much longer than those found in nature."

Every time plastic is recycled, the polymer chain grows shorter, SO ITS QUALITY DECREASES.

glass and metal (including aluminum) can be recycled infinitely without losing quality or purity in the product. You read that right. Unlike plastic, Tweet this There's no need to add additional virgin material in the recycling process- recycling glass and metal is the ultimate form of circular economy, the process of using and then reusing materials without generating any waste. ( Spring Pool Glass Co. Ltd., a glass recycling and innovation company based in Taiwan, is an excellent example of this.)

Profit

The next time you use a plastic product, flip it over and check the bottom. If you see #7 in the center of a three-arrowed triangle, you have no way of knowing for certain whether its recyclable or non-recyclable (even plastics industry people and recyclers can't tell sometimes).

Only powered by knowledge can we take the necessary actions to transform our relationship with plastic and protect our families, communities & the environment.

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7 Things You Didn't Know About Plastic (and Recycling)

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Recycling is a complicated system dictated by market demand, price determinations, local regulations, the success of which is contingent upon everyone, from the product-designer, to the trash-thrower, to the waste collector, to the recycling factory worker. We consumers play a much more critical

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Explore National Geographic. A world leader in geography, cartography and exploration.

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Our #4th graders at @GEMS_Singapore participated in a beach clean up today as part of our Sharing the Planet unit. We noticed that earbuds, bottle caps and styrofoam cups were in abundance on Changi Beach. #ibpyp #SDGs #GEMSinspire

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Our #4th graders at @GEMS_Singapore participated in a beach clean up today as part of our Sharing the Planet unit. We noticed that earbuds, bottle caps and styrofoam cups were in abundance on Changi Beach. #ibpyp #SDGs #GEMSinspire https://t.co/8UlQuEeGvf

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Our #4th graders at @GEMS_Singapore participated in a beach clean up today as part of our Sharing the Planet unit. We noticed that earbuds, bottle caps and styrofoam cups were in abundance on Changi Beach. #ibpyp #SDGs #GEMSinspire pic.twitter.com/8UlQuEeGvf
— Meagan da Silva (@MeagDS) November 23, 2018

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Our #4th graders at @GEMS_Singapore participated in a beach clean up today as part of our Sharing the Planet unit. We noticed that earbuds, bottle caps and styrofoam cups were in abundance on Changi Beach. #ibpyp #SDGs #GEMSinspire https://t.co/8UlQuEeGvf

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Our #4th graders at @GEMS_Singapore participated in a beach clean up today as part of our Sharing the Planet unit. We noticed that earbuds, bottle caps and styrofoam cups were in abundance on Changi Beach. #ibpyp #SDGs #GEMSinspire https://t.co/8UlQuEeGvf

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Our #4th graders at @GEMS_Singapore participated in a beach clean up today as part of our Sharing the Planet unit. We noticed that earbuds, bottle caps and styrofoam cups were in abundance on Changi Beach. #ibpyp #SDGs #GEMSinspire

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The median household income in Chicago, IL in 2017 was $55,295, which was 13.9% less than the median annual income of $62,992 across the entire state of Illinois. Compared to the median income of $38,625 in 2000 this represents an increase of 30.1%. The per capita income in 2017 was $34,269, which means an increase of 41.1% compared to 2000 when it was $20,175.

Whole page based on the data from 2000 / 2017 when the population of Chicago, Illinois was 2,896,016 / 2,716,462

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Chicago, Illinois (IL) income map, earnings map, and wages data

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The median household income in Chicago, IL in 2017 was $55,295, which was 13.9% less than the median annual income of $62,992 across the entire state of Illinois. Compared to the median income of $38,625 in 2000 this represents an increase of 30.1%.

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Thousands of Products Improving Millions of Lives

Fair Trade Certified™ is an award-winning, rigorous, and globally recognized sustainable sourcing model that improves livelihoods, protects the environment, and builds resilient, transparent supply chains.
Why Fair Trade

The Impact of Fair Trade Certification

When you see our Fair Trade Certified label on a product, you can trust that it was made according to rigorous standards that protect the livelihoods of farmers, fishers, and other producer communities and the environment.

Farmers, fishers, and workers are not guaranteed a minimum price or adequately compensated for their production; they are often not made aware of their rights or aren't encouraged to provide feedback on improvements or needs.

Less visibility into supply chains and lack of standards can result in exploitation of workers and the environment

No extra income provided for community investments

Guaranteed minimum price that acts as a safety net for coffee farmers and producers when the market prices are low

Rigorous Fair Trade Certified standards ensure safe and healthy working conditions, the elimination of forced/child labor, fair and consistent compensation, and environmental protections and product traceability

Producer communities receive additional compensation through Community Development Funds

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Certification

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Fair trade products are constantly expanding into new categories and retail locations, making it easier than ever to shop your values! Use your purchasing power for good by choosing from the thousands of items that feature the Fair Trade Certified label.

We work with more than 1,500 trailblazing partners that have transformed their business with Fair Trade Certified. As a leading third-party certifier of fair trade products, our model is based on rigorously-maintained standards that set the global benchmark for sustainable sourcing.

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Producer, Brand | Wholesum

"Fair trade is one of the most credible and effective certification models on the market that helps farmers improve their lives and develop their communities more sustainably. I've seen it's powerful impact first hand on our family's farms."

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By partnering with us, you'll be joining a diverse network of producers, companies, shoppers, and advocates who are committed to building a more equitable model of trade.
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The Fair Trade Community is a gathering place for fair trade shoppers, advocates, allies, and donors, united as changemakers creating a better world.
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Fair Trade Certified is an award-winning sustainable sourcing model that improves livelihoods and builds resilient transparent supply chains.

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Introduction

This game is a version of the World Trade Game developed by the Third World development charity Action Aid. I have amended it to be suitable for students beginning a course in economics, economic development or international trade, although it could be used with students studying related subjects.

I also use it as part of a year-12 open day at UWE in early July for students who have just completed AS Economics and are thinking of studying Economics at university.

The game is fun to play; it needs no computing facilities and uses only very basic equipment, such as scissors, pencils, rulers and paper; preparing the materials for the game usually takes about 20-30 minutes and, except for paper, all the materials used for the game can be reused. You need only one member of staff for up to 240 students; all the necessary instructions can be given to the participants within 2 minutes; and there are many economic 'lessons' that can be drawn from the game.

Overview of the game

Students are divided into teams, each of which acts as a separate 'country', with between two and ten students in each team. There are five or six countries in a game. A game thus can be played with between 10 and 60 students. More than one game can be played simultaneously, if the room is big enough, but there must be no interaction between the games.

Countries compete against each other to 'manufacture' paper shapes (circles, triangles, rectangles, etc.) and sell them to an international commodity market trader at posted prices, which vary with supply and demand. The objective for each country is to make as much money as possible.

There are three types of country in a game:

two rich industrialised countries;

one or two middle-income countries;

two low-income countries.

Students are not told this; they find out as they play the game.

The game requires a large flat room, with loose tables and chairs.

Room layout

Only one lecturer is required as game leader even if more than one game is being played, but one additional person is required to act as a 'commodity trader' in each game. This person could be a student. It is also useful to have one or two 'observers' for each game. These too can be students. Experienced game leaders could handle up to four simultaneous games (i.e. up to 240 students) if the room is appropriate. The game takes between 45 and 90 minutes to play. This is followed by scoring, reporting by students and adjudication by the lecturer, who will probably want to draw various economic lessons from the game. This all lasts a further 20-45 minutes. Students find the game enjoyable and rapidly enter into its spirit.

Preparing for the game

You will need to do four things.

If you are playing two or more games (or 'worlds') simultaneously, you will need to separate them with a line of tables or some other barrier, as students must not cross from one game to another.

Starting off the game

Tell the students to leave all bags and any equipment (e.g. paper or pens) at the front and then to sit themselves around the clusters of tables. Distribute the envelopes to each of the countries.

The game requires minimal, but clear instructions immediately that students have sat round the tables and before they have opened their envelopes. The dynamic of the game requires that there is no preamble explaining the purpose of the game and certainly no summary from the lecturer explaining what the game is supposed to illustrate. It is important for the students to work out what they should do.
Instructions given out at the start of the game
Once the instructions are understood, it is time for the lecturer to tell students how long they have to play the game (usually 45 minutes) and to announce the start of manufacturing.

During the game

At the beginning of the game there will be a lot of confusion and students will have many questions, such as 'Where can I get scissors?', 'Why have we only got paper?', 'Can we buy things off other countries?', 'Can we combine with other countries?', 'Can we have a loan?' Resist all temptation to answer these questions. Just repeat what you said at the beginning. After a minute or two they should begin moving around the room and trading, but the initiative should come from them, not you. The rich countries (A1 and A2) will probably begin making shapes, as they have all the materials and equipment that they need, but they will soon run out of raw materials and will probably try to buy some paper from other groups.

Role of Observers. Use the observers to report back to you on what is going on. This will help to give you information for the debrief session at the end. For example, get them to find out what is happening to the scissors - the one crucial implement that has to be used for all shapes and is possessed initially by only two countries. Do the rich countries form a scissors cartel? Do they sell one pair to another country; or do they hire them out? Observers should watch how groups negotiate the prices of paper and other materials. They should note the formation and operation of any alliances and deals and any cheating that takes place. Observers should also report to you any malpractice, such as stealing other countries' paper, implements or shapes. It is up to you to decide whether you should ignore the problem, thereby encouraging countries to do their own policing, or whether you should impose a punishment, such as suspending them from making shapes for 5 minutes, confiscating certain materials or fining them.

Role of commodity trader. The trader must be careful in measuring the shapes and reject any that have not been cut out. Alternatively, if they have been torn carefully against a ruler, or are only slightly too large or small, a reduced price could be given. You could leave this to the trader to decide, or you could agree a policy in advance. The trader must keep a close eye on the money to prevent students stealing it, preferably keeping it out of their reach. Shapes that have been sold should be put into an envelope or box, again out of reach of students.

Traders should not normally give loans, unless you want to build this in as a feature of the game, in which case you should decide in advance what interest rate to charge - probably a high rate, such as 50 per cent. If loans are allowed, the trader should keep a record of them. In such cases, it might be a good idea to allocate an assistant to the trader. It is easiest for loans not to be repaid, but at the end of the game, when money is totalled, the trader will simply announce how much has to be deducted (outstanding loan plus interest) from each team.

Your role as game leader. You will need to keep in regular contact with the trader. Find out which shapes are being sold in large quantities (probably the triangles and rectangles) and which are hardly being sold at all (probably the circles and the protractor-sized semi-circles). Then blow the whistle and announce that, owing to the forces of demand and supply, the prices of certain shapes have changed. You can choose how much to change the prices, but a dramatic change stimulates more interest and provides a stronger focus for later discussion. For example, when the students are debriefed after they have finished the game, it is easier to refer to the importance of price elasticity of demand and price elasticity of supply when the price changes have been dramatic. For similar reasons, it is better to change prices very infrequently. The price of particular shapes will also affect the value of particular tools. If circles go up in price, this will affect the demand for compasses. This relationship can be identified later in the debriefing.

Extra dimensions can be introduced into the game by simulating the emergence of new technology, new raw materials or new equipment. It is important to make sure that the observers are primed to focus upon the reactions of groups to each change. The debrief will depend heavily on the quality of the information they are able to provide.

The development of new technology can be simulated by giving about 8 coloured small sticky shapes to one of the low-income countries, without indicating the possible use of those shapes. The game leader then goes to one (or both) of the rich or middle-income countries and informs them that the value of a standard shape is trebled if it has a coloured shape attached to it and that one of the low-income countries possesses coloured shapes. This scenario could also simulate the discovery of raw materials in a developing country, which are then developed by a multinational corporation investing in the country and bringing its expertise and technology with it.

You could also increase the stock of capital by selling a further pair scissors by auction. This will need to be done relatively early on in the game and you will need to announce your intention 5 or 10 minutes before you do so. Although the poor countries would dearly like to buy a pair, one of the rich countries is more likely to be successful at the auction. It might then hire out the scissors to a poor country.

As the game progresses, paper will rapidly run out. Trade in paper is likely to take place, with the price of paper rising to meet its value in terms of the shapes that can be made from it. The game can be prolonged by introducing more paper (simulating the discovery of new raw materials). You can do this in two ways. First, you may give some to one or both of the low-income countries. The second way is to sell more paper. A good way of doing this is to hold a paper auction, where you sell about 10 sheets, one at a time. Announce that in 5 minutes' time you will be holding an auction and ask for one representative from each country to attend. The two issues are:

How will the price at the auction reflect the value of shapes that can be made from it?

Will the bidders collude to drive down the price?

You can draw lessons from this in the debrief session at the end.

Ending the game

The students should be given a 5-minute warning of when the game will end. There will probably be a flurry of activity as students rush to make shapes with their remaining paper and bring those shapes to the commodity trader. When the game ends, the game leader should ask all the students to return to their countries and to answer three questions:

What was in their envelopes when they opened them?

What implements do they currently own?

How much money do they have?

Collating results and debriefing students

A whiteboard or flip chart can be used to record the results. The answer to the first of the questions (what was in the envelopes?) is known and it is helpful if this information has already been recorded on the flip chart or whiteboard. The answers to the other two questions can be gathered quickly so that the groups can easily compare their experience with that of other groups.

It can be helpful to organise the debriefing into three stages:

Stage 1. Draw students' attention to similarities and differences between the results from different groups. Did the groups that started with the same resources perform in a similar way? How much of the difference between the groups was due to strategies pursued and how much to the initial endowment? It is also appropriate at this stage to pose questions that prompt students to describe how they felt about the game as it developed. For example, the tutor could ask students in the different types of country how they felt when they opened their envelopes.
Some further suggestions for questions to ask in this first stage
Stage 2. The second stage consists of asking the students to indicate ways in which they believe the game simulates the real world and ways in which they believe it is unrealistic. The capacity for simulations to affect students' thinking depends a great deal on whether they believe that the world is reflected in the simulation. It is quite usual for some students to dismiss as unrealistic aspects of a simulation that the lecturer is hoping to use to illustrate a theoretical idea.

One of the strengths of this game is that the inherent inequality in resource endowment that gives the game its distinctive character is hard to contest as a reflection of the real world economy. Students are more likely to question the way in which the game simulates the opportunities that these endowments create for different countries and how those opportunities are exploited.

Stage 3. In the third stage of the debriefing, the tutor aims to help students to compare the way they have analysed their experience in the game with the insights derived from economic ideas and the evidence that economists have assembled. This part of the debrief should be focused on those ideas that have been selected in the desired learning outcomes for the activity. The debriefing naturally begins as a large discussion group led by the tutor. However, if this format is maintained for more than 10-15 minutes, some students will get restless and there will be pressure for the tutor to end the session.

Given that the debriefing represents the tutor's main opportunity to develop students' thinking, it is important to find ways of avoiding a short and rather low-level discussion. The debriefing session needs to be planned as carefully as the activity. Typically this will involve asking students to discuss a couple of questions and arguments (during stages 2 and 3) within their 'country' groups. In stage 3, when the focus is on economic ideas and evidence, it can be useful to have a small piece of evidence for each group to consider before returning to the whole-group discussion.

Learning outcomes

The International Trade Game has a wide range of potential learning outcomes, and with suitable focus, especially during the process of debriefing, a number of economic topics might be identified and developed more fully. These topics range from elementary trade theory to issues of imperfect information and even debates surrounding international inequality and first and third world relations.
A comprehensive list of economic topics that can be discussed
As well as subject-related learning outcomes, the International Trade Game helps develop a number of key skills. Group working and interacting with others are among the most significant. The process of negotiating is also a very strong element within this game.

Video

( Update January 2017) We are grateful to Giampiero M. Gallo at NYU Florence for making and sharing this video about the game.

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This game is a version of the World Trade Game developed by the Third World development charity Action Aid. I have amended it to be suitable for students beginning a course in economics, economic development or international trade, although it could be used with students studying related subjects.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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