Lesson 1Glass types and damage handling (tempered, annealed, colored, shattered glass)Looks at various glass kinds like bottles, toughened, and layered glass, and how they break. You'll learn to spot colours, covers, and breaks, plus safe ways to handle and contain sharp bits.
Container glass vs flat and specialty glassTempered and laminated glass break patternsColor sorting: clear, green, amber, and othersCoated, mirrored, and ceramic-contaminated glassSafe cleanup and containment of shattered glassLesson 2Hazardous items: batteries, aerosols, chemicals, sharps — risks and labeling recognitionShows how to spot dangerous items in waste, know their risks, and read labels and signs. Covers safe holding, short-term storage, and reporting steps to stop injuries, fires, and spills into the environment.
Common household hazardous items listBattery types, damage signs, and leak risksAerosol cans: pressure, puncture, and fire hazardsChemical product labels and hazard pictogramsSharps handling, containers, and incident responseLesson 3Paper and cardboard grades, contamination effects (waxed, greasy, coated, laminated)Covers key paper and cardboard sorts, from office sheets to strong boxes, and how waxes, grease, wetness ruin recycling. You'll spot dirt and know when to send loads away from recycling.
Office paper, newsprint, and mixed paper gradesCorrugated cardboard structure and strengthWaxed and coated papers: recyclability limitsGreasy, wet, and food-soiled paper handlingSorting decisions for borderline paper itemsLesson 4Textiles and fibers: natural vs synthetic, recycling pathwaysIntroduces cloth and fibre groups, telling natural, man-made, and mixed types apart. You'll spot everyday clothes and home fabrics, know reuse and recycling paths, and find dirt that stops recovery.
Natural fibers: cotton, wool, and celluloseSynthetic fibers: polyester, nylon, acrylicBlended fabrics and labeling challengesWearable reuse vs downcycling pathwaysMoisture, mold, and soiling as contaminantsLesson 5Composite and mixed materials: multi-layer packaging, black plastics, lined cupsChecks mixed-material goods like pouches with layers, lined cups, and black plastics. You'll see layers, covers, and dyes, and decide when to treat as rubbish not recyclable.
Multilayer pouches and foil-lined packagingPaper cups with plastic or wax liningsCartons and aseptic packaging recognitionBlack plastics and optical sorter limitationsDisassembly vs residual disposal decisionsLesson 6Metals identification: aluminum vs steel, magnetic testing, contamination issuesTeaches telling aluminium from steel and others by look, weight, and magnets. You'll spot common packs and scraps, find dirt sources, and see why good splitting counts.
Common aluminum and steel packaging formsMagnet testing and simple field checksPainted, coated, and laminated metal itemsFood residues, labels, and mixed-material lidsImpact of metal contamination on furnacesLesson 7Organics and compostables: food waste behavior, contamination, and separationExplains how plant waste acts in collection, with smells, bugs, and wet problems. You'll tell compostable from non, and use split rules to cut dirt in organic flows.
Food waste categories and moisture behaviorCertified compostable vs biodegradable claimsCompostable liners, utensils, and servicewareNon-compostable look-alikes to keep outOdor, pests, and leachate management basicsLesson 8Small mixed items and contaminants: fasteners, elastics, food residue impact on streamsLooks at tiny mixed bits that spoil recycling like clips, bands, and food bits. You'll spot them, know their harm, and do removal and holding steps.
Metal fasteners, clips, and small hardwareRubber bands, elastics, and string tanglersFood residues on packaging and containersLoose labels, stickers, and tape fragmentsScreen, conveyor, and bale contamination risksLesson 9Polymer chemistry and common plastic types (PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS) — visual cues and resin codesIntroduces plastic basics and main types in packs. You'll match codes, looks, and goods to right flows, noting dangers like PVC and tricky black plastics.
Amorphous vs crystalline polymer behaviorPET and HDPE packaging uses and traitsPVC, LDPE, PP, and PS common applicationsReading and interpreting resin identification codesVisual and tactile cues for plastic sortingLesson 10E-waste components and hazards: batteries, capacitors, heavy metalsDetails e-waste parts like boards, batteries, caps, and heavy metals inside. You'll spot risk signs and do safe removal, storage, and label steps for e-waste.
Common e-waste categories and device examplesPrinted circuit boards and soldered componentsEmbedded batteries and swollen cell indicatorsCapacitors, stored energy, and fire risksHeavy metals, leaching, and exposure controls
