Lesson 1Glass types and damage handling (tempered, annealed, coloured, shattered glass)Looks at different glass types like bottles, toughened, and layered glass, and what happens when they break. You'll practise spotting colours, coatings, 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 labelling recognitionShows how to spot dangerous items in waste, know their dangers, and read labels and signs. Covers safe handling, short-term storage, and steps to report issues to avoid hurts, 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 types, from office paper to strong boxes, and how wax, food grease, and wet affects if they can be recycled. You'll practise finding dirt and knowing 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 fibres: natural vs synthetic, recycling pathwaysIntroduces cloth and fibre types, telling natural, man-made, and mixed fabrics apart. You'll spot common clothes and home cloths, know reuse and recycling ways, 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 cupsLooks at mixed-material things like layered bags, lined cups, and black plastics. You'll spot layers, coatings, and dyes you can see, and decide when items go to rubbish not recycling.
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: aluminium vs steel, magnetic testing, contamination issuesShows how to tell aluminium from steel and other metals by look, weight, and magnets. You'll spot common packs and scraps, find dirt sources, and see why good separating 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 behaviour, contamination, and separationExplains how plant and food waste acts in collection, with smells, bugs, and wet problems. You'll tell compostable from non-compostable, and use rules to cut dirt in organics.
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 streamsFocuses on tiny mixed bits that spoil recycling easy, like clips, rubber bands, food bits. You'll practise spotting them, knowing effects, and steps to remove and contain.
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 basic plastic chemistry and main types in packs. You'll match resin codes, look cues, common goods to right streams, 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 usual e-waste parts like boards, batteries, capacitors, and heavy metals inside. You'll spot risk signs by eye and follow safe remove, store, 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
