Recycling Day: What Happens to the Things We Throw Away

RECYCLING DAY is an interesting look at what happens to the things we throw away or recycle. The story starts with a family who is getting rid of some things. It then goes to the trucks and how things are sorted and then made into something new. Later, it also discusses what happens to things that cannot be recycled and the ways that we can prevent things from becoming trash to help the planet.

What I loved: The illustrations are really fantastic throughout, showing lots of detail and illustrating each step of the process. There is a lot of storytelling in the images, as readers can view what is happening to items being recycled in machines, even when the text does not go into as much detail.

This was a highly informative read, great for the early elementary crowd who will be excited to know what happens to the things they discard. The end inclusion of tips to reduce trash is also very important and gives some action items children can help implement in their own everyday lives.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, text could appear somewhat randomly around the pages, and this could make it difficult to determine the order in which it was intended to be read and to make sure you can find it all. The book does include a QR code audiobook, which can take the guesswork out and read it for you though!

Final verdict: RECYCLING DAY is a fun and engaging look at what happens to the things we throw away or recycle. With lots of information and detailed illustrations, this is a great look into the process for early elementary school aged readers.

What happens to the things we throw away or put in the curbside recycling bin? Well, depending on where you live, what ostensibly happens can be very different. My children and I spent a lot of time making sure we were putting correct items in the bin, and this book would have been helpful in explaining to them why it was so important to be conscious about discarding items.

Misha and her family always have some items that are used up, broken, or no longer needed that need to leave their house. Near her house are a variety of recycling bins for different things. She's fortunate that there is a robust recycling center that collects electronics, textiles, glass, paper, and cans. We learn how glass and paper are recycled and turned into new bottles or paper, how food scraps and yard waste are composted, and how cans, textiles, and plastic bottles are turned into many new products. Trash that can't be recycled is burnt in an incinerator that powers a steam generator. Other trash is buried. At the end of the book, Misha's family is shown trying to reduce the amount of waste they create, which is such a critical part of the process! The end of the book includes tips on how readers can keep items from becoming waste.