Bin it to Win it!

Be a contestant in this new science game show and help to save the planet by learning to reduce, reuse & recycle:

- race to sort steel and aluminium cans using the power of an electromagnet;
- discover some of the amazing things we can make from stuff we normally throw away;
- discuss and vote on how we can each improve the way we deal with waste;
- put all this information together in the final frantic Bin it to Win it Challenge.

This interactive show uses quiz questions, magic, volunteers, hands-on challenges and science demonstrations to bring important waste management issues to life.

Download one-page preparation guide or full support notes.

key concepts

· Our normal waste ends up either being buried in massive holes in the ground, called landfill sites; or burnt in massive ovens, called incinerators. Neither of these are good ways of coping with our waste.

· There are better ways of dealing with our rubbish - we usually call them the 3 r’s - reduce; reuse; recycle.

· “Reducing” means using less of the earth’s resources eg buying fewer new things; using less packaging; not buying things that you can only use once. Many scientists think reducing is the most important way of decreasing the damage we cause through our waste.

· Many of the things we throw away can be re-used by us or someone else — “reusing” means using something again.

· To “recycle” means to make something new out of something that has been used before. When we put things that can be recycled in our normal waste bins these valuable materials are lost forever. But not all materials can be recycled as easily as others. In the show, we look at the ways that paper, glass, some plastics and metal can be recycled.

· small changes by everyone can make a big difference - whenever we reduce, reuse or recycle, as well as reducing how much rubbish we have to get rid of, we also need to use less energy and fewer of the Earth’s resources to make new things. The small changes we all make can together make a big difference.